The Utah Jazz can’t make a comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers. NBA, LeBron James, Lauri Markkanen

On November 20, 2024By Littum

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated Utah Jazz 124-118 in California. The Jazz’s chances of securing an NBA Cup berth are fading as they have fallen to 0-2 in the November qualifiers. The Lakers dominated the first and third quarters with a mix of solid defense and aggressive offensive play. The Jazz had good defense and an offensive surge in the 4th quarter, but the 22-point deficit that had occurred in quarters 1-3 was too much to overcome. The Jazz had 5 players score between 16 and 22 points (Markkanen, Sexton, George, Clarkson, Collins), and the Lakers had James and Davis score 26 each. The biggest story of the night was Laker rookie Dalton Knecht, who scored a career-high 37 points. Knecht has been a good addition to LA, he is already a capable starter.

LeBron James facilitated from the top of the key on designed plays, pick and rolls, and from driving to the paint and kicking out was difficult for the Jazz to defend. The Jazz’s perimeter defense was exposed tonight as Knecht hit 9-12 3s and the Lakers went 14-31 as a team from long range. The Lakers’ length and intensity made interior scoring and ball control difficult for Utah. The Lakers had 9 steals and 5 blocks, and Davis’ dominant defense deterred several shots inside the paint. Anthony Davis looks like an All-NBA 1st Team type of player to start the season, and he was the overall best player on the court tonight.

3-11 Jazz take on the Spurs on the 21st, do you think the Jazz will snap their 3 game losing streak? Comment below!