Lakers All-Stars Carry Los Angeles Over Utah
Oct 26, 2019, 12:03 AM
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his pass to Anthony Davis #3 for a score during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on October 25, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Los Angeles Lakers dream duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James were dreamy in their 95-86 victory over the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, the Jazz looked sloppy and disjointed in their first big match-up of the season.
You could almost tell it was going to be the Lakers night when Davis attempted an alley-oop pass in the 1st quarter and it went in the basket instead. Davis waltzed away with a big smile in his first win as a Laker.
First win, how ya feelin’ AD? pic.twitter.com/7qHtEY5RNC
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 26, 2019
Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points on 7-15 from the field and 10-10 from the free-throw line. He also had one of the best two-way sequences of the night. Mitchell blocked James lay-up attempt in the 3rd quarter and then ended up with a dunk on a Rudy Gobert assist on the other end.
But the Jazz’s one star could not offset the greatness of the Lakers 2 stars and LeBron’s own fantastic plays.
LeBron scored 23 of his game-high 32 points after halftime while Anthony Davis scored 12 of his 21 points in the first quarter. And while Rudy Gobert helped to stifle Davis from the 2nd quarter on, King James showed again why he is still one of the best in the game.
Make way for the King. #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/nwhAs6CjaX
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 26, 2019
The 35-year old backed guys down, canned step-back jumpers and hustled all over the floor. It was most evident right at the end of the 3rd quarter at the free-throw line. James recognized that he missed his second freebie short, so he chased it down and found Troy Daniels for a 3-point basket which gave the Lakers a 74-55 lead going into the final period.
Lakers’ LeBron James on Troy Daniels (four three-pointers in win over Jazz): “His nickname is layup. Every time he shoots a three, it’s a layup.” pic.twitter.com/Hf1ZHlStlh
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 26, 2019
Mike Conley was Utah’s second-leading scorer with 13 points, but he was only 3-11 from the field. No other Jazz player scored in double figures.
The Lakers played the Jazz very physical throughout the night, hugging Donovan and other Utah players so that they could not come off of Gobert screens clean. The Jazz never seemed to find their rhythm the entire night. They shot only 42% from the field and 8-25 from behind the 3-point line. They also had 23 turnovers in the game.
The Jazz don’t have a lot of time to find their offensive mojo. They play Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings at 7 pm at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
