After trailing by 18 points in the first quarter, the Lakers rallied on Sunday afternoon to beat the Jazz in the first road game of the season, 132-123.
Luka Dončić put the team on his back from the second quarter on, exploding for 52 points in the win. Down the stretch, Luka buried a pair of threes and Austin Reaves hit the dagger to give the Lakers the comeback win.
Luka was the first to get on the board for LA with a jump shot. The Jazz then scored eight straight. Luka answered with another midrange
jumper.
Ace Bailey countered for Utah with four points. He was cooking for the Jazz, leading the team with six points. Meanwhile, Luka had all six of the Lakers’ points.
Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams both drained triples, finally putting other Lakers on the board. Utah kept the momentum, though, and opened a 16-point lead with Bailey leading the charge with 13 points.
Los Angeles struggled defensively, which in turn killed any momentum they built on offense. Luka was the only player doing much of anything offensively with 17 points.
At the end of the first, Utah was up by 18.
Collin Sexton started the second period with a layup for the Lakers. Brice Sensabaugh responded on the other end with a floater off the glass. Austin Reaves began to heat up, scoring 10 points in the quarter to bring the deficit to 12 for LA.
Utah called a timeout and, out of the break, former Laker Jaxson Hayes converted on an alley-oop dunk.
Reaves’ ridiculous quarter continued as he drained another triple, pushing his point total to 15. Walker Kessler also finally scored, converting on a layup. Sandro Mamukelashvili had stellar production off the bench for Los Angeles, scoring seven points.
By the 3:02 mark, the Lakers had cut the deficit to three.
LA put on a defensive clinic all quarter. On the other end, Luka went on an insane heater to end the half, scoring eight points to give the Lakers a three-point halftime lead.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored on a layup for the Jazz to start the third period. Thybulle responded with a 3-pointer for Los Angeles. Keyonte George scored four points to halve the deficit.
Thybulle drained his third three of the night for LA and was now in double figures with 11 points. Luka and Reaves combined for a quick eight, but Markkanen scored five to make it a three-point game. The teams exchanged baskets, making it a fun battle.
At the four-minute mark, the Lakers were up three.
Mamu had two great defensive plays, one block and one altered shot. Utah tied the game on three free throws from Jaren, but Luka hit a triple at the end of the third to put LA up by three.
The final frame started with Isaiah Collier converting on a floater. Reaves converted on a jumper on the other end. Utah chipped into the deficit with Darryn Peterson leading the charge with four points.
At the 7:25 mark, Utah jumped ahead by one after George hit a three.
Out of a Lakers timeout, Sexton drained a 3-pointer to put LA back up. The game was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team creating separation. At the 4:17 mark, the Jazz led by three. Luka erased that with a three on the other end.
At the 3:15 mark, LA was up by one, thanks to Luka converting on a pair of free throws.
Reaves was fouled from behind the arc and converted on all three free throws, giving Los Angeles a small cushion. Luka drained two threes, pushing his total to 50 points. The Lakers were up six with 1:12 left.
After a pair of free throws from George, Reaves drained a clutch three with under a minute to go and Luka converted on two free throws to complete the win.
Key Player Stats
Luka finished with 52 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and two steals. Reaves ended with 29 points on 7-12 shooting. Kessler had a poor offensive game with just two points. He also grabbed seven rebounds.
Thybulle added 11 points. Williams pitched in with 11 points. Sexton had 13 points off the bench. Mamu logged nine points and three rebounds.
The Lakers’ next game will be against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday at 8:00 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
