Jazz Get Revenge Over Doncic, Lakers 131-119
Feb 12, 2025, 10:32 PM | Updated: Feb 13, 2025, 10:30 am
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz sent Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers into the All-Star break with a 131-119 loss.
Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 32 points while the Lakers were led by Rui Hachimura who scored 19.
Game Blog: Jazz Blowout Lakers In Salt Lake City
Jazz Guards Stuff Stat Sheet Against Lakers
The Jazz backcourt had a field day against the new-look Lakers lineup with Keyonte George, Jordan Clarkson, and Isaiah Collier combining for 51 points, 23 rebounds, and 28 assists.
All three players flirted with a triple-double as George was just three rebounds short, Clarkson was one rebound and three assists short, and Collier was three rebounds and one assist short.
Collier got off to a quick start recording five points, five assists, and three rebounds in the first quarter, helping the team find early momentum after Monday’s drubbing.
Three Jazzmen flirting with triple-doubles, a season-high in blocks for The Sheriff and six guys in double-figures?!
Yeah, that’ll end LA’s winning streak 😏#TakeNote presented by @LVT_USA pic.twitter.com/qiMstSJJXh
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 13, 2025
Clarkson helped the Jazz extend their eight-point halftime lead to 18 with an eight-point, five-rebound performance in the third quarter, while George sealed the victory with seven points and four assists in the fourth quarter.
The trio shot 18-35 from the floor, including 7-17 from the three-point line to outpace the Lakers backcourt.
Doncic, Austin Reeves, and Shake Milton combined for 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 19 assists, but shot just 13-33 from the floor and 5-20 from downtown.
Did Lakers Quit, Or Are They This Flawed?
An optimist may blame the Lakers’ ugly performance in Utah on the matchup being their final contest before the All-Star break, it being only the second game of Doncic’s tenure with the roster, and LA facing a motivated team they just manhandled 48 hours before.
A pessimist might blame the team’s matador perimeter defense, an inability to generate easy baskets at the rim, and a treacherous frontline that looked woefully outmatched.
The Lakers’ final 30 games of the season will reveal whether it was the optimist or the pessimist who was telling the truth.
All of the concerns about the Lakers defense with this trade were legitimate.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 11, 2025
It’s not uncommon for teams on the road, in their final game before the midseason break to give lackluster effort on both ends of the court. Nor is it uncommon for teams to struggle to jell together after the trade deadline.
But there were more than a few red flags from the Lakers in Wedensday’s performance.
Defensively, the roster will have to be spectacular on the perimeter if they hope to slow opponents at any point over the final two months of the season.
With Jaxon Hayes and newly signed Alex Len defending the rim, the Jazz scored 54 points on 67 percent shooting inside the paint.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, neither Doncic nor Reaves are known for being strong defenders on the perimeter, meaning Hayes and Len should expect to be challenged on most possessions.
Offensively, the Lakers frontline is also likely to struggle as neither center is known for their scoring prowess.
The Lakers thought they had addressed that issue by acquiring Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline, but after the center failed his physical, the transaction was rescinded, and LA was left undermanned in the frontcourt.
Lakers are looking like a get-right game for struggling offenses.
Jazz are getting whatever they want.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 13, 2025
With LeBron James and Doncic, the Lakers have two of the most gifted offensive players on the planet, but they may have to hope to win games in a shootout, and that didn’t materialize against the Jazz.
Even though they tied a season-high with 20 made threes, the Lakers trailed by double-digits for most of the second half, and the entire fourth quarter.
One game is too small of a sample size to draw any certain conclusions, but if the Lakers struggle over the final 30 games of the season, Wednesday’s performance might have been a taste of what is to come.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
