Luka Doncic once again delivered a moment of magic that left fans in awe, this time during the Los Angeles Lakers’ clash with the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
Midway through the second quarter, the Slovenian turned defense into instant offense. After intercepting a pass near midcourt, Doncic pulled off a slick nutmeg dribble between Kevin Love’s legs to blow past the Jazz big man and ignite a fast break. Without breaking stride, he lofted a perfect alley-oop to Jaxson Hayes, who finished the play with a thunderous dunk, sending the crowd buzzing.
Entering the game Luka Doncic was leading the NBA with an average of 34.6 points per night, along with nine assists, 8.5 rebounds, and nearly two steals per contest. The former Dallas Mavericks star continues to strengthen his case for this season’s MVP award.
Lakers survive Utah scare
Los Angeles appeared to be in full control after stretching the lead to 13 in the fourth quarter, only for Utah to storm back with a furious closing run that slashed the margin to a single possession. The game came down to the final shot, as George rose for a buzzer-beating three that could have stolen the win, but his attempt missed and the Lakers improved to 8-2 on the road.
The night opened with a statement dunk from LeBron James, forcing an early timeout from Jazz coach Will Hardy before Keyonte George answered with a floater to settle the hosts. Luka Doncic set the tone offensively for Los Angeles with seven early points, while Svi Mykhailiuk and Jusuf Nurkić combined for 10 to keep Utah slightly in front midway through the first quarter.
Marcus Smart finally connected from deep for just the Lakers’ second three-pointer in seven tries, helping steady an offense that had been grinding. Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves each chipped in seven points in the opening frame, with every Laker starter except Deandre Ayton getting on the board as Utah trimmed the deficit to two by quarter’s end.
Jazz rally to fall short
The Jazz carried their momentum into the second period with an 8-2 spurt to grab the lead, before Jake LaRavia answered with a quick five points off the bench for LA. Isaiah Collier gave Utah a major spark of his own, pouring in nine points as a reserve, while the Lakers were dealt a blow when Ayton exited with a right knee contusion and did not return, prompting Jaxson Hayes to start the second half in his place.
Utah used a nine-point burst after halftime to erase the deficit, highlighted by back-to-back threes from George and a powerful slam from Ace Bailey that briefly put the Jazz in front. That surge forced a Lakers timeout as they suddenly trailed by four, but Los Angeles responded with a dominant stretch to open the fourth, finally pushing the lead into double digits for the first time all night.
Just when the Lakers seemed safe, Utah answered with a 9-3 run that slashed the gap back to one possession and shifted the pressure squarely onto the visitors. Lauri Markkanen caught fire down the stretch and repeatedly punished LA’s defense, giving the Jazz a real chance to either tie or win, but George’s last-second three-point attempt missed the mark, allowing the Lakers to escape with a hard-fought victory.