Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers
· National Basketball AssociationLeBron James makes historic season debut, Luka Doncic scores 37 in Lakers' 140-126 win over Jazz
The 40-year-old James made his season debut in the Lakers' starting lineup and played 30 minutes after missing training camp and their first 14 games due to sciatica. Vince Carter is the only other player in NBA history to participate in 22 seasons, but James passed him while opening the next chapter of a pro career that began in 2003.
James didn't take long to find the flow: He put on a playmaking clinic in the second half, and Doncic scored 17 points in the third quarter while the Lakers pulled away from Utah.
Austin Reaves added 26 points as the Lakers improved to 11-4 with their third straight victory.
Keyonte George, who was born 10 days after James’ NBA debut, matched his season high with 33 points for the Jazz two nights after hitting the winning 3-pointer in a double-overtime thriller against Chicago.
Lauri Markkanen had 31 points for Utah, which has lost five of seven.
James didn't score in his first 11 minutes on the court, but his two 3-pointers in the first half moved him past Reggie Miller for the sixth-most in NBA history.
James made a driving layup in the third quarter to extend his streak of double-digit scoring performances to a record 1,293 games — every game in which he has played since Jan. 6, 2007. The four-time NBA champion didn't score again, but the Lakers moved comfortably ahead.
George scored 23 points and Markkanen had 22 in Utah's 71-point first half. The Lakers took charge after halftime, closing the third on a 21-5 run.
Bronny James played the final 3:33 and hit a 3-pointer.
Lakers: At Jazz on Sunday.
Regular Season Series
LAL lead series 1-0
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 126 - 140 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 124 - 140 |
| 4th 19.8 |  |
Jake LaRavia defensive rebound | 124 - 140 |
| 4th 22.9 |  |
Kyle Anderson misses 12-foot pullup jump shot | 124 - 140 |
| 4th 32.1 | |
Jake LaRavia makes free throw 2 of 2 | 124 - 140 |
Statistics
 UTAH |
 LAL |
|
|---|---|---|
| 48-92 | FG | 50-84 |
| 52 | Field Goal % | 60 |
| 13-45 | 3PT | 11-32 |
| 29 | Three Point % | 34 |
| 17-18 | FT | 29-40 |
| 94 | Free Throw % | 73 |
| 33 | Rebounds | 41 |
| 8 | Offensive Rebounds | 11 |
| 25 | Defensive Rebounds | 30 |
| 33 | Assists | 31 |
| 13 | Steals | 9 |
| 2 | Blocks | 1 |
| 18 | Turnovers | 17 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 18 | Total Turnovers | 17 |
| 1 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 1 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 22 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 20 |
| 11 | Fast Break Points | 15 |
| 56 | Points in Paint | 74 |
| 30 | Fouls | 21 |
| 11 | Largest Lead | 23 |
Los Angeles Lakers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Jaxson Hayes, C | Day-To-Day | Dec 25 |
| Austin Reaves, G | Day-To-Day | Dec 25 |
| Gabe Vincent, G | Out | Dec 18 |
Utah Jazz Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Georges Niang, F | Out | Dec 15 |
| Walker Kessler, C | Out | Nov 5 |
Game Information
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 18,997 · Capacity:
2025-26 Northwest Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oklahoma City |
26 | 5 | .839 | - | L2 |
 Denver |
22 | 8 | .733 | 3.5 | W1 |
 Minnesota |
20 | 11 | .645 | 6 | L1 |
 Portland |
12 | 18 | .400 | 13.5 | L2 |
 Utah |
10 | 19 | .345 | 15 | L4 |
2025-26 Pacific Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 LA Lakers |
19 | 10 | .655 | - | L3 |
 Phoenix |
16 | 13 | .552 | 3 | W1 |
 Golden State |
16 | 15 | .516 | 4 | W3 |
 LA Clippers |
8 | 21 | .276 | 11 | W2 |
 Sacramento |
7 | 23 | .233 | 12.5 | L1 |
NBA News
Perk points finger at JJ Redick for Lakers' defensive woes
Kendrick Perkins and Monica McNutt discuss the issues with the Lakers recently.
Perk: Spurs are making the Thunder look soft
Kendrick Perkins explains why the Thunder have struggled against the Spurs' size.
Perk: Jokic is the most-skilled center ever
Kendrick Perkins joins "Get Up" to break down Nikola Jokic's historic 56-point triple-double on Christmas Day.
NBA Christmas games: What should give 10 teams title hope, concerns
ESPN analyst Zach Kram picks two stats for the teams that played on Dec. 25, and breaks down why fans should be happy and worried about their title aspirations.
Jokic scores record 18 in OT, has 56-point triple-double in Nuggets win
Nikola Jokic recorded a 56-point triple-double and set an NBA record with 18 points in overtime, leading the Nuggets to a 142-138 win over the Timberwolves.