The Los Angeles Lakers will return home on Tuesday to play against the Utah Jazz in an NBA Cup West Group B game. The Lakers are riding a season-best five-game winning streak and will look to extend it in this matchup.
Recently, the Lakers have benefited from facing teams missing key players. Their wins in this streak came against the Philadelphia 76ers, who played without Joel Embiid, the Memphis Grizzlies without Ja Morant, and the New Orleans Pelicans, who were missing CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray on Saturday.
In their 104-99 win over New Orleans, the Lakers had their own injury issues to deal with, as Cam Reddish (foot) and Rui Hachimura (ankle) were both out. Rookie Dalton Knecht stepped up, starting the game and scoring a career-high 27 points.
Over his last three games, including two starts, Knecht has averaged 20.0 points in 31.5 minutes per game.
He was 5-for-10 from three-point range against the Pelicans and has shot 63.2 percent from beyond the arc in his last three games.
Lakers’ star Anthony Davis praised Knecht’s shooting, saying, “Every time (Knecht) shoots the ball, I think it’s going in. That’s why we get so frustrated and upset with him when he doesn’t shoot. He’s a great player. He can defend, he can shoot, he can put it on the floor, he can pass. So he can do it all.”
Davis himself had 31 points and 14 rebounds in the win.
LeBron James had a slow start but finished strong, scoring 21 points and hitting key baskets down the stretch. In his 22nd season, James is averaging 23.3 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.6 rebounds.
The Utah Jazz have been improving recently, but they are coming off a second consecutive loss, falling 116-105 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. The Jazz were trailing 99-76 with just over 11 minutes left but made a strong comeback attempt, cutting the lead to 110-103 after a three-pointer by Jordan Clarkson. However, the Clippers went on a quick 5-0 run and sealed the victory.
Clarkson led the Jazz with 21 points off the bench, and Lauri Markkanen added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Keyonte George struggled, scoring only 9 points on 4-of-12 shooting, and was replaced in the starting lineup by Isaiah Collier for the second half.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy emphasized the need for consistent effort, saying, “You have to compete if you want to play. That’s nonnegotiable.” Markkanen agreed, stating that the team can learn from their fourth-quarter fight against the Clippers and should aim to bring that energy throughout the entire game.
Markkanen leads the Jazz with 17.3 points per game, just behind John Collins, who averages 17.5 points. Walker Kessler, the team’s top rebounder with 10.7 rebounds per game, will miss his fifth straight game due to a right hip injury.
The Lakers are 1-0 in NBA Cup group play, while the Jazz are 0-1.
