SALT LAKE CITY — The Los Angeles Lakers narrowly defeated the Utah Jazz 105-104 on Sunday night, thanks to standout performances from Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Davis notched 33 points along with 11 rebounds, while James contributed 27 points and 14 assists to lead the Lakers to victory despite their current roster challenges.
In a tense finish, James attempted a crucial 3-pointer but missed, marking his tenth miss from beyond the arc during the game. This opened the door for the Jazz to potentially snatch a victory. However, Collin Sexton mishandled the inbounds pass and was unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded. Earlier, in the last minute of play, James scored with a left-handed running hook shot, but Walker Kessler answered with a putback, keeping Utah close.
The Jazz’s scoring efforts were highlighted by Lauri Markkanen, who posted 22 points, and John Collins, who added 21. This loss marked the Jazz’s eighth defeat in their last nine games, compounding their struggles this season.
Davis was particularly effective in the third quarter, scoring 16 points. As he rested, James took the lead in the fourth quarter, successfully making four consecutive shots, including a dynamic reverse layup and a powerful dunk, extending the Lakers’ lead to 101-92.
The Lakers faced significant roster issues, missing key players such as Jaxson Hayes (right ankle sprain), Austin Reaves (hip bruise), and D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish, both out with illnesses. Hayes is anticipated to be sidelined for two to three weeks.
Key takeaways from the game include James stepping up as a playmaker, supported by Davis’s solid performance, which provided a small buffer for the fatigued Lakers, who had to fend off a late surge from the Jazz. Conversely, the Jazz struggled with ball control, recording more turnovers than any other team in the league, which again proved detrimental as they committed two critical mistakes in the final moments. Overall, they racked up 15 turnovers that led to 20 points for the Lakers.
A pivotal moment occurred in the dying seconds when Sexton scored what appeared to be the go-ahead basket to put Utah ahead 106-105. However, that score was nullified as Jazz coach Will Hardy called a timeout just before the shot, leading to a reset of the play clock.
A notable statistic from the night was James surpassing 15,000 career made field goals in the second quarter, making him the second player in NBA history to reach this milestone, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has 15,837.
Looking ahead, the Jazz will travel to Oklahoma City on Tuesday to kick off a seven-game road trip. Meanwhile, the Lakers are set to visit Minnesota on Monday.
