Rick Bowmer / Associated Press
The Utah Jazz may be playing more important games down the line against the Los Angeles Lakers, but they earned temporary bragging rights on Wednesday.
Utah defeated Los Angeles 114-89 in a potential showdown to the Western Conference Finals at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson led the way in a balanced effort for the victors, who were an NBA best 26-6 overall and 11-1 in the last 12 games.
Solid screenings from LeBron James and Montrezl Harrell weren’t enough for the 22-11 Lakers, who are still without Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder and have now lost four in a row.
Remarkable player statistics
- Donovan Mitchell, G, UTA: 13 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL
- Rudy Gobert, C, UTA: 18 PTS, 9 REB
- Mike Conley, G, UTA: 14 PTS, 8 AST, 8 REB, 2 STL, 4-of-6 3PT
- Jordan Clarkson, G, UTA: 18 PTS, 4 REB
- LeBron James, F, LAL: 19 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST
- Montrezl Harrell, F, LAL: 16 PTS, 6 REB
Balanced Jazz Steamroll Lakers in Statement Win
The Jazz can’t fully prove itself to doubters until the playoffs after two consecutive first-round exits, but fielding the defending champion on a national broadcast was an opportunity to make a statement.
Perhaps it was fitting, then, that the underrated Conley was the best player on the floor for stretching straight out of the gates just a day after being rejected from the All-Star squad. He immediately caught fire while carrying out the attack and controlling the pace.
It was far from a one-man show, as the Jazz jumped out to a 16-point lead. Clarkson was electric from the bench, Bojan Bogdanovic took his hit from deep and Gobert controlled the boards.
That Utah had such an impressive lead from a break against a champion, even though All-Star Mitchell shot just 1 in 8, which underlined the overall depth of the team.
To Mitchell’s credit, he found other ways to influence play, even if his shot didn’t hit. He worked in pick-and-rolls with Gobert and Derrick Favors to create easy-on-the-rim looks for the greats and competed for boards even from the backcourt.
The effort helped the Jazz roll well into the second half, especially when it hit from deep into the track and took to the track to bolster its own scoring figures.
Six players scored in double digits for Utah, further proving that it doesn’t have to rely on one or two guys every night to win. There’s outdoor shooting, edge protection, a fixed point guard in Conley and a go-to option that can light up the scoreboard or create something for others in Mitchell.
The Jazz are a contender for the championship, and they looked Wednesday.
LeBron plays less minutes in blowout loss
There is good news and bad news for the Lakers right now.
The good news is, they know they don’t need a home edge to win a title after doing this at the Walt Disney World Resort last season. The regular season is just a dress rehearsal for a team that’s in championship-or-bust mode and will be much better when Davis and Schroder return.
The bad news is that the Lakers look just as vulnerable as they have since the playoff-less 2018/19 campaign, putting a lot of miles on 36-year-old James’ legs. In fact, he averaged 38.2 minutes per night in the game in February, after playing 43 in the overtime loss against the Washington Wizards on Monday.
Los Angeles couldn’t have been much worse in the beginning, especially on the defensive side, as Utah was connected by an open perimeter and had many open lanes to the edge.
If there was a silver lining, it was the realization that LeBron wouldn’t have to carry that much of the load in the days of a blowout.
Even when he was out for much of the third quarter, the King was content with jumpers and did not exactly push on opponent’s handlers or chase anyone on the open floor. Offensive, however, he was still the visitors’ best option, with a soft touch from the mid-range and the ability to overpower defenders on selected assets to the brim.
That wasn’t nearly enough against the red-hot Jazz, but James was at least allowed to sit for the entire fourth quarter.
What’s next?
Both teams will be in action Friday when the Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers and the Jazz travel to defy the Miami Heat.