Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz
· National Basketball AssociationLakers outlast Jazz 108-106 as Doncic scores 33 and James 17 in his 1st road test of season
James, who scored most of his points on fast breaks and strong drives to the hoop, added eight assists and six rebounds in 34 minutes. He had 11 points and 12 assists in a win against the Jazz on Tuesday, in the first game of his 23rd NBA season. James missed training camp and the Lakers' first 14 games due to sciatica.
Lauri Markkanen scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and keyed a Jazz comeback. His 3-pointer was the last of a 17-5 run that brought Utah within 107-106. After Doncic made one of two free throws, Keyonte George's contested jumper from the corner glanced off the rim just before the final horn.
George had 27 points and eight assists for the Jazz (5-11), who led Wednesday's game at halftime before falling 140-126. This one was more competitive from tipoff to buzzer.
Austin Reaves scored 22 points and Rui Hachimura added 13 for the Lakers (12-4), who have won four in a row.
Neither team led by more than nine points until the Lakers went on a 13-0 run that was punctuated by Doncic’s 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining to give Los Angeles a 98-85 lead.
The largest advantage before that was when Lakers were up 67-58. The Jazz went on a 16-2 run for a 74-69 lead midway through the third.
Deandre Ayton scored two points in 13 minutes before leaving midway through the second quarter with a knee bruise.
Maxi Kleber made his 1,000th career field goal, his only basket of the game. It was a crucial dunk and the Lakers' last field goal to make it 107-101 with 1:21 to play.
Jazz: Visit Golden State on Monday.
Regular Season Series
LAL lead series 2-0
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 | ![]() |
End of Game | 108 - 106 |
| 4th 0.0 | ![]() |
End of the 4th Quarter | 108 - 106 |
| 4th 1.7 | ![]() |
Jazz offensive team rebound | 108 - 106 |
| 4th 1.7 | ![]() |
Keyonte George misses 22-foot three point jumper | 108 - 106 |
| 4th 5.8 | ![]() |
Marcus Smart enters the game for Gabe Vincent | 108 - 106 |
Statistics
LAL |
UTAH |
|
|---|---|---|
| 38-86 | FG | 40-94 |
| 44 | Field Goal % | 43 |
| 10-38 | 3PT | 13-40 |
| 26 | Three Point % | 32 |
| 22-27 | FT | 13-18 |
| 81 | Free Throw % | 72 |
| 45 | Rebounds | 45 |
| 5 | Offensive Rebounds | 10 |
| 40 | Defensive Rebounds | 35 |
| 23 | Assists | 27 |
| 7 | Steals | 7 |
| 4 | Blocks | 2 |
| 14 | Turnovers | 14 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 14 | Total Turnovers | 14 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 1 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 1 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 10 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 11 |
| 26 | Fast Break Points | 18 |
| 54 | Points in Paint | 54 |
| 18 | Fouls | 21 |
| 13 | Largest Lead | 7 |
Utah Jazz Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Georges Niang, F | Out | Dec 15 |
| Walker Kessler, C | Out | Nov 5 |
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 |
Game Information
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Attendance: 18,186 · Capacity:
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 |
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 |
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.





LAL
UTAH
Phoenix
Golden State
LA Clippers
Sacramento
Oklahoma City
Denver
Minnesota
Portland