Lauri Markkanen scored 32 points and the Utah Jazz bounced back to defeat the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 131-119 on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
Jordan Clarkson added 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Jazz, who snapped a three-game losing streak that included a 132-113 road defeat against the Lakers on Monday. Keyonte George contributed 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Rui Hachimura scored 19 to lead the Lakers, who saw their six-game winning streak end.
LeBron James added 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Luka Doncic put up 16 points, four rebounds and four assists in his second performance with Los Angeles. Doncic, recently acquired from the Dallas Mavericks, shot 6 of 13 from the floor and committed a game-high five turnovers while playing 23 minutes.
Los Angeles’ Austin Reaves only connected on 1 of 10 3-point attempts and shot 4-for-15 overall for 15 points. He did dish out 11 assists in the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break.
In a dramatic turnaround, the Jazz led by as much as 25 points two days after trailing the Lakers by as many as 34 points.
Utah’s Walker Kessler made all eight of his field-goal attempts and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six blocks.
Markkanen hit six of the Jazz’s 15 3-pointers, while Clarkson and George added three treys apiece. Utah shot 52.3 percent overall compared to the Lakers’ 44.6 percent shooting clip.
Utah used two different 11-0 runs in the third quarter to seize control of the game at 96-71.
Early in the first quarter, the Jazz scored three inside buckets in a 39-second spurt to erase the Lakers’ five-point lead en route. Two Markkanen hoops in the last 40 seconds gave Utah a 33-30 lead.
Los Angeles momentarily regained the lead in the second quarter after scoring nine straight, capped by two foul shots from Reaves for a 39-37 edge. The Jazz responded with a 15-3 run to go up by 10 after two free throws from Cody Williams. Utah led 64-56 at halftime.
Los Angeles got within five in the third quarter on consecutive 3-pointers from James and Reaves. Utah then expanded the lead to 16 after Clarkson and Collins teamed for all of the points in the first of their 11-0 runs in the period.
Utah hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday in its last game before the break.
–Field Level Media
