The final group play match of the NBA In-Season Tournament took place on Tuesday night at the Los Angeles Lakers’ home court against the Utah Jazz.
A victory over the Jazz (131-97) was sufficient for the Lakers to secure their group and advance to the quarterfinals. They accomplished this by virtue of their victory. Los Angeles will be among the top two seeds in the Western Conference due to their immaculate 4-0 record in group play. As a result, they will host their quarterfinal match at home before the tournament’s semifinals and finals are played in Las Vegas.
LeBron James scored the game’s first point when D’Angelo Russell assisted him on a simple layup. James got off to a strong start for the Lakers with two free throws and a triple that extended the deficit to 11-7. By making the 3-pointer, LeBron James became the first player in league history to surpass 39,000 points.
Early on, the Lakers punished the Jazz down low, as layups completed by Anthony Davis, Christian Wood, and Taurean Prince extended the deficit to double digits at 24-11.
In the first quarter alone, Davis paced the team with 11 points and nine rebounds, and a late three by Austin Reaves gave Los Angeles a 32-17 lead heading into the second quarter. Following the first quarter, Lakers starting wing Cam Reddish was declared out for the remainder of the evening with groin soreness; therefore, Max Christie filled in for him.
The Jazz closed the first half on a brief run, which increased their deficit to double figures. However, the Lakers retaliated in kind, as Davis continued to press them down low and Russell made a deep-range shot to restore the lead to 16 and compel Utah to time out.
As a consequence of the Jazz’s inability to prevent the Lakers from entering the paint and avoiding the free throw line, L.A. held a 62-41 halftime advantage.
The Jazz were unable to make a three-pointer in the first half, but they stormed back within 15 in the third quarter with two consecutive 3-pointers. However, the Lakers responded with another run of their own, which was capped by LeBron flushing a dunk and Russell and himself making consecutive 3-pointers.
Following that, Rui Hachimura contributed to the Lakers’ lead with consecutive three-pointers, which extended their advantage to 102-75 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lakers ultimately secured the victory as there was no miraculous surge to be had by the Jazz. James concluded with seventeen points, seven rebounds, and nine assists, whereas Davis dominated with twenty-six points, sixteen rebounds, four assists, and two steals. It is significant that both did not participate in the fourth quarter, given that the Lakers will be hosting the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, the second half of a back-to-back.