Luka Dončić delivered his first dominant performance of the season at Delta Center. The Slovenian scored 52 points and nearly recorded a triple-double in a game where the Lakers trailed by 18 in the first quarter. Los Angeles improves to 3-0 to start their first season without LeBron James.
https://youtu.be/tXtpep-QqXQ?si=0d9Puw5xziXQhiRQ
Jazz dominate the first quarter
The Jazz came out firing in front of a packed arena. They dominated the paint and offensive rebounding, with Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. finding their shot early, and the first quarter closed at 47-29, leaving the Lakers in a very uncomfortable position.
Second quarter turns the game around
The response came immediately. The Lakers scored 45 points in the second quarter, with Dončić and Reaves punishing from three-point range and the free throw line, and went into halftime ahead (74-71). In twelve minutes they turned around a game that was slipping away.
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Dončić carries Lakers down the stretch
The second half was an exchange of blows, with nine ties and six lead changes throughout the game. The Jazz continued to punish in the paint and on the offensive glass, but the Lakers compensated with outside shooting and from the free throw line, where Dončić and Reaves combined for 21 of 24. In the fourth quarter, the Slovenian took over and the Lakers, who never led by more than nine, closed out the game 29-23.
Austin Reaves chipped in with 29 points on just five missed shots. For the Jazz, Markkanen scored 28, Keyonte George posted a double-double with 24 points and 10 assists, and second-year player Ace Bailey added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Utah falls to 1-2.