The Los Angeles Lakers jumped out to a 37-25 lead after one quarter and led 72-47 at halftime on their way to a breezy 132-119 win over the Utah Jazz.
There was a buzz in Crypto.com Arena for Luka Doncic’s Laker debut, and the superstar, who called the evening a “special moment”, put up 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists (5-for-14 from the field, 1-for-7 from deep). A minutes restriction (he had been out of action since December 25) limited him to 24 minutes of play.
Doncic’s first score came with 8:05 remaining in the opening quarter as he hit one of his patented step-back triples over Walker Kessler. Less than three minutes later, after Rui Hachimura missed a corner three, Doncic’s old Maverick teammate Dorian Finney-Smith tapped the ball to Luka, who laid the ball in.
The crowd roared as Doncic finished the play, and he checked out of the game at the 5:04 mark seconds later.
Doncic checked in for James with 7:44 to go in the second, and on the ensuing play, using an Austin Reaves screen to curl to the three-point line, retrieved the ball from center Jaxson Hayes. On a switch, Doncic was guarded by Lauri Markkanen, and drove into the paint, and when elevating and attracting three defenders, threw a one-handed bounce pass to the corner to Rui Hachimura, who nailed the corner triple. Lakers 52, Jazz 31.
After Hachimura retrieved the ball off a miss at the defensive end, Doncic came away with it, moving quickly up the floor, stepping back, and discarding a triple that missed.
Doncic’s next field goal came on a left block post up against Johnny Juzang, backing down and spinning baseline for a soft fadeaway that arched high and fell through the hoop. On the next possession, Doncic oooh’d and ahhh’d the crowd by zipping a one handed pass all the way from the left wing to the right corner. No shot was attempted from Finney-Smith, but the play provided just one glimpse of how “Showtime” might be back in LA.
With 4:35 remaining in the opening half, Doncic, at the left wing, caught the ball from Gabe Vincent, and drove left, getting by Jordan Clarkson and elevating for a right-handed layup. 9 points on 4-for-7 from the field.
Doncic’s next scoring opportunity came with just over a minute remaining in the half, driving left on Clarkson, stepping back and stepping through before releasing a one-handed jumper. Doncic was fouled on the play and visited the charity stripe, making both free-throws.
In one of the game’s highlight plays and a euphoric moment for Laker fans, Doncic found James with a three-quarter court pass to James for a layup. The points were James’ 13th of the game. Inside 10 seconds remaining in the half, Doncic drove on Clarkson and released a floater that missed, but Austin Reaves chased the ball down and, retrieving to the right corner, dead-eyed a triple over Markkanen.
Doncic was just 1-for-5 in the third quarter, but on the first Laker basket of the quarter, he found Hayes for a lob. Two possessions later it was Luka-LeBron-Hayes for yet another lob finish.
With 10:09 on the clock, Doncic drove left on Clarkson and laid the ball off the glass, drawing a foul and completely a three-point play for his last score of the evening.
It did not seem that Doncic, out since Christmas Day with a calf strain, was bothered by the leg. He was moving well. One of the noteworthy things was his conditioning, although that is to be expected after such a long layoff.
In transition, the Lakers (winners of six straight, 32-19) look dangerous, which is stating the rather obvious. But an open floor game with Doncic and James is about as electric as you could find not just in the league today, but stretching back decades. James (24 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 10-for-17) led the Laker charge, while Reaves put up 22 points and 9 rebounds on 6-for-10.
John Collins (17 points, 11 rebounds, 5-for-10) led the Jazz, while Markkanen registered 17 himself on 8-for-18 shooting. The Jazz dropped to 12-40 with the loss.
As Doncic gets more run with his new Laker teammates and works himself back into prime game shape, the team will obviously be dangerous. Having two playmakers the caliber of Doncic and James puts a lot of stress on your defense.
Around the League
Anthony Edwards scored 44 points and had 6 rebounds in a 128-107 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers (43-10). The Timberwolves are now 30-24. Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Franz Wagner scored 37 points and had 7 rebounds in a 112-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks (26-28). The Magic, with the loss, are now 26-29. Trae Young (19 points, 8 assists, 6-for-17) was the high man for the Hawks.
Victor Wembanyama’s 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks (12-for-21) led the Spurs (23-28) on the road in a 131-121 win over the 9-44 Washington Wizards. De’Aaron Fox was 15-for-18 from the line for 30 points, while Tristan Vukcevic’s 18 off the bench led the Wizards.
The Brooklyn Nets (19-34) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (13-38) 97-89, led by Nic Claxton’s 16 points. Moussa Diabate’s 21 points and 10 rebounds (9-for-11) led the Hornets.
Jayson Tatum’s 33 points and 8 rebounds (13-for-26) was tops for the Boston Celtics (38-16) in a 103-85 win against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Bam Adebayo led the Heat (25-26), who were playing without Tyler Herro, with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Stephen Curry’s 38 points (12-for-24) led the Golden State Warriors (27-26) over the 28-24 Milwaukee Bucks 125-111. Jimmy Butler was 12-for-15 from the line, finishing with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Damian Lillard’s 38 points and 7 assists (12-for-20, 11-for-13 from the line) led the Bucks.
The Oklahoma City Thunder (43-9) made easy work of the New Orleans Pelicans (12-41) in a 137-101 win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points on 10-for-20 (4-for-9 from deep) while Jaylen Williams had 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 6-for-11. Trey Murphy III (23 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4-for-7 from deep) led the Pelicans, with Zion Williamson scoring 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
DeMar DeRozan’s 42 points and 7 rebounds (15-for-22 shooting) led the Sacramento Kings (27-26) in a 129-128 win over the Dallas Mavericks (28-26). Domantas Sabonis was 7-for-10 with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Kyrie Irving’s 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists (11-for-25) led the Mavericks. Irving (24.2 points, 4.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 47 percent shooting) will be replacing his injured teammate Anthony Davis in Sunday’s All-Star Game.
Nikola Jokic put up 40 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds (15-for-22) in the Denver Nuggets’ comfortable 146-117 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Christian Braun added 26 points on 12-for-14, while Delano Banton and Donovan Clingan (22 points, 21 points) led the Blazers. The 35-19 Nuggets, winners of seven consecutive, are third in the Western Conference, one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies. The Blazers have lost two straight and are 23-31, 4.5 games back of the play-in.
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