The Los Angeles Lakers stormed back to defeat the Utah Jazz 132-123 in Salt Lake City after giving up 47 in the first quarter. It looked like the Jazz would run away with the contest early, but the new-look Lakers punched back. They scored 45 of their own to lead by three at halftime. The purple and gold survived Utah shooting 49 percent from the field and dominating the rebound battle. This LA group looks special after a 3-0 start, and this is just the beginning.
Luka Doncic finished with 52 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and two steals in 38 minutes of action. He was unquestionably leading the charge, and the fits around him make this team special. Walker Kessler struggled for the first time in a Laker uniform, but LA has the shooting and depth necessary to survive when the opposition seemingly can’t miss.
Head coach JJ Redick has done a fantastic job of making his teams more than the sum of their parts in his three years leading the Lakers. Now, he finally has a roster built around one of the best players in the world that actually fits. Fans saw the potential in the win over the Jazz. Utah punched Los Angeles in the mouth, but the Lakers came back for an impressive win.
Lakers put shooting and wing depth around Luka Doncic
Kessler had just two points and only got two shot attempts in his first game against his former team. After scoring 26 and 22 in his first two games with the Lakers, the Jazz weren’t letting him go off. Kessler struggled on both ends after offering phenomenal rim protection in the first two. LA needed others to step up.
Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams stepped up with important shot-making in Salt Lake City. They combined for 22 points on six of 14 shooting from 3-point range. Collin Sexton offered a big 13 points off the bench. The Lakers also got energy from Jake LaRavia and versatile play from Sandro Mamukelashvili. LA needed the depth and versatility with the big man struggling.
It wasn’t just the role players. Austin Reaves stepped up to assist the Don in the victory.
Austin Reaves is becoming the perfect co-star for Luka Doncic
Reaves had 29 points, four assists, one rebound, one steal, and two blocks in 35 minutes of action. He shot seven of 12 from the field and made four 3-pointers on Sunday. Reaves was finishing plays and was key to securing the victory.
Doncic has had his most success playing with a star secondary creator. He had Jalen Brunson in the Mavericks 2022 run to the conference finals and Kyrie Irving in 2024 when Dallas reached the NBA Finals. Having an elite scorer and creator next to him has helped his team go to another level.
Reaves has scored 23 or more in every game so far and is doing it while taking just 12 shots per game. He dealt with some foul trouble in Utah, but Reaves is efficiently getting buckets and helping make the Lakers’ offense unstoppable. A 45-point second quarter sparked the comeback. Reaves played a crucial role and is becoming the perfect co-star for Doncic.
Lakers are just getting started with a new group
The Lakers got rid of nine players from last season’s 15-man roster. This is virtually an entirely new group around Doncic and Reaves. LaRavia was the only other player who got minutes on Sunday who was with the team last season.
Coach Redick is just getting started with this group. The Lakers are still figuring out where everyone is going to be and what lineups work best together. They will only get better with time playing together. That is scary for the rest of the NBA after the Lakers have scored 125 or more and are undefeated after three games.
The Lakers put pieces that fit around Luka Doncic. They have the rim protector and lob threat the superstar wanted in Kessler. The purple and gold added shooting and versatility beyond that. They are just gelling together and already look special. Doncic hasn’t even locked in his 3-point shot yet, and the Lakers still haven’t lost.
The Los Angeles Lakers needed Luka Doncic to go off against the Utah Jazz, but it was the contributions around him that made this squad look special. They are undefeated and just starting to gel. Fans should be excited because this team has the look of a special group that fits around Luka.
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