The Lakers (18-7) look to build another winning streak as they continue their current four-game road trip at Salt Lake City, where they will take on the Utah Jazz (10-15). This is already the third game between
the two teams this season, with Los Angeles winning the last two.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz
When: 6 p.m. PT, Dec. 18
Where: Delta Center
Watch:
Spectrum SportsnetThe Lakers escaped the Phoenix Suns last Sunday, and it wouldn’t have been possible if head coach JJ Redick did something out of the ordinary. Last game, we saw Jarred Vanderbilt — who has been pretty much out of the rotation — come up big for the purple and gold.
Thanks to Vando and even the likes of Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton who all provided hustle and energy on defense, the Lakers tipped off their road trip on a successful note.
Now, the interesting development worth following is whether Redick’s decisions regarding his rotations stick. We all know Vando has his limitations as a player, but it’s clear that his services are needed to improve this team’s defense.
We might just get our answer to that as soon as the next game against the Jazz, who the Lakers really need to defend hard to beat.
Why the Lakers’ defense will be key
The Lakers may have defeated the Jazz twice already this season, but remember, their previous victory against them didn’t come easy either. Similar to what happened against Phoenix, Los Angeles also blew their biggest lead of the game late in the fourth quarter in their last appearance in Utah.
It would’ve been one of their most embarrassing losses, but fortunately, they managed escape. They seem to have done that a handful of times this season already.
But at some point, that trend has to stop, and the best way the purple and gold can do that is to step up their defense, especially when they close out games. Note that this Jazz team is still one of the best-scoring teams in the association, averaging 119.0 points per game.
Keyonte George, who is averaging 30.5 points against the Lakers this season, has given them a ton of trouble. The same goes for Lauri Markkanen and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who played well in their last two meetings. Expect these three players to show up once again.
That’s why the Lakers’ defense will be key in this one because the Jazz will most likely be eager to defeat them after not being able to do so twice over the last month.
Will Redick utilize Vanderbilt once again? Will Marcus Smart be the solution to limit George? And most importantly, will the team’s defense step up in a really tough environment to play in? These will dictate the outcome of the game.
Why the Lakers must expose the Jazz defense
While they may be a talented scoring team, the Jazz’s defense remains putrid as they’re still a bottom-tier unit on this end of the floor.
It’s a huge reason why they’re currently sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference standings. Besides rebounding the ball — which is a tremendous strength of theirs — they can’t really stop their opponents from scoring, and this is where Luka Dončić and LeBron James enter.
In their last two meetings, the Jazz have not shown that they can contain Dončić and James, especially when both players are in rhythm. Their best bet is to match their offense, but even that has its limits.
The Lakers will need both superstars to show up in this one to win. Of course, contributions from across the board will significantly help, and if that is the case on both ends of the floor, the Lakers should be able to manage.
Hopefully, this one will be an encouraging victory because the Lakers could use one right now to gain full momentum. Let’s see if they nab another win on the road on Thursday.
Notes and Updates
- For the Lakers’ injury report, there are unfortunately a couple of new additions. Aside from Maxi Kleber (lumbar muscle strain) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain), Deandre Ayton (left elbow soreness) also won’t be able to suit up.
- Gabe Vincent (lower back soreness) is questionable, while Bronny James Jr. will be with the South Bay Lakers.
- As for the Jazz, George Niang (foot) and Walker Kessler (left shoulder) are out. Lauri Markkanen (right groin) is noted as questionable.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
