Imago
Feb 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Imago
Feb 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Last time out, the Utah Jazz rolled over as easy prey in LeBron James’ historic 23rd-season debut. This time around, with the Lakers storming into Salt Lake City, the Jazz were determined to flip the script and avoid another lopsided affair. LeBron and Luka Doncic, eager to unleash their bolstered defensive schemes on Utah’s high-octane offense, had every reason to feel confident. But for much of the night, it looked like the hosts might just pull off the upset—they controlled the tempo and built leads that had the Delta Center rocking.
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Then came the fourth-quarter magic. Down for most of the contest, the Lakers erupted in a stunning comeback, outscoring the Jazz 41-29 in the final frame to snatch a thrilling 143-135 victory on the road. Powered by Doncic’s monster triple-double, Los Angeles weathered the storm and pushed their record to 19-7, proving once again why they’re a force in the West.
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Los Angeles Lakers vs Utah Jazz player stats and box score
Los Angeles Lakers
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| STARTERS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| LeBron James#23 | 33 | 28 | 8-17 | 0-5 | 12-13 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -6 |
| Rui Hachimura#28 | 33 | 13 | 6-10 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | +2 |
| Jaxson Hayes#11 | 22 | 16 | 7-7 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -10 |
| Marcus Smart#36 | 28 | 17 | 6-11 | 5-9 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | +12 |
| Luka Doncic#77 | 40 | 45 | 14-28 | 4-12 | 13-16 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | -5 |
| BENCH | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| Maxi Kleber#14 | 19 | 5 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 3-4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +17 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt#2 | 25 | 7 | 3-7 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +15 |
| Jake LaRavia#12 | 28 | 12 | 4-6 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | +14 |
| Dalton Knecht#4 | 4 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
| Adou Thiero#1 | 3 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | +4 |
| Nick Smith Jr.#20 | 5 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 |
| Gabe Vincent#7 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TEAM TOTAL | – | 143 | 49-93 (53% ) | 13-39 (33%) | 32-39 (82%) | 48 | 32 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 31 | – |
Utah Jazz
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| STARTERS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Kyle Filipowski#22 | 27 | 6 | 3-7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | +3 |
| Jusuf Nurkic#30 | 32 | 15 | 5-8 | 1-1 | 4-11 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -2 |
| Svi Mykhailiuk#10 | 17 | 11 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 2-2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +10 |
| Keyonte George#3 | 39 | 34 | 9-20 | 5-11 | 11-12 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | +3 |
| Ace Bailey#19 | 26 | 19 | 7-13 | 3-6 | 2-6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -4 |
| BENCH | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | PF | +/- |
| Kevin Love#42 | 16 | 5 | 1-5 | 1-5 | 2-3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -6 |
| Taylor Hendricks#0 | 23 | 4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -9 |
| Brice Sensabaugh#28 | 17 | 15 | 5-9 | 3-6 | 2-2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -12 |
| Isaiah Collier#8 | 28 | 18 | 6-12 | 1-2 | 5-7 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -7 |
| Walter Clayton Jr.#13 | 14 | 8 | 3-5 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -16 |
| Kyle Anderson#2 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cody Williams#5 | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| TEAM TOTAL | – | 135 | 43-83 (52% ) | 18-37 (49%) | 31-47 (66%) | 39 | 31 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 29 | – |
Lakers vs Jazz: Game summary and key moments
The Lakers were missing Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton, which put Marcus Smart in the starting lineup. The Jazz didn’t have Lauri Markkanen for the second straight game. At first, it seemed that Utah had an edge over the shorthanded Lakers, who were experimenting with new defensive strategies.
After trailing the Jazz by 10+ points for most of the game, the Lakers came within 68-74 at halftime. The third quarter left the Lakers fuming after Marcus Smart, Doncic, and Hayes each earned technical fouls. A huge fourth quarter run by Bron and Luka helped the Lakers outscore the Jazz 41-29 and win the game.
The Jazz brought them within 134-130 in the last quarter. But Doncic found Jaxson Hayes for his 14th assist that put the Lakers ahead. Jake LaRavia, Doncic, and James hit the final free throws that sealed their win.
Overall, the Lakers demonstrated the defensive improvement they had been working towards. They won the statistical contest by outrebounding the Jazz, including 35 defensive rebounds.
They had more assists, steals, and blocks, but the biggest improvement was their low turnover count of 7.
Who are the top performers who stood out?
Luka Doncic had another 45-point outing tonight, 25 of which came in the first half alone. With an additional 14 assists and 11 rebounds, he recorded his fifth triple-double of the season.
LeBron James had 28 points and 10 assists. Jaxson Hayes had one of his best games, going 7-for-7 to make 16 points.
Keyonte George contributed 34 points for Utah. But it was Brice Sensabaugh who stunned, coming off the bench to add 10 points in the first quarter. He finished the game with 15 points.
Who Underperformed Tonight?
While Luka Doncic’s historic 45-point triple-double stole the headlines, not every purple-and-gold player left Salt Lake City smiling—especially Dalton Knecht.
The second-year wing saw just four minutes of action and went scoreless, bricking his lone shot attempt in a forgettable cameo that did little to quiet the growing murmurs about his inconsistent role and production this season.
LakeShow faithful aren’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat right now, with Knecht’s limited minutes underscoring the challenges of cracking a loaded rotation headlined by stars like Doncic and LeBron James.
On the Jazz side, sophomore big man Kyle Filipowski may have managed only six points, but he dominated the glass with a game-high 13 rebounds, providing a silver lining in Utah’s tough loss.
Meanwhile, veteran Kevin Love—once LeBron’s championship teammate in Cleveland—drew the ire of fans calling for his retirement after a quiet five-point outing, highlighting the struggles of aging gracefully in a youth-driven league.
The night wasn’t without drama for the Lakers’ king either. LeBron James endured a couple of scary moments, tweaking his knee in the second quarter and later taking a hit to the face, yet the 40-year-old warrior gutted it out to finish with a strong double-double.
He’ll be monitored closely ahead of Saturday’s showdown against the crosstown rival Clippers, while the Jazz look to bounce back at home against the Orlando Magic.
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