After losing five of their first eight games to start the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are getting warm, and they are starting to build some legitimate positive momentum.
After getting a win in a 105-104 squeaker over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, they took the court on Tuesday for their fourth and final in-season tournament group play contest. Versus the Utah Jazz, they dominated in every aspect and came away with a 131-99 victory while taking advantage of one of the NBA’s worst defenses.
They bucked a negative early season trend for them by taking a 32-17 lead at the end of the first quarter, and they never looked back. Los Angeles ran up its lead to as many as 39 points, which meant plenty of garbage time and plenty of rest for its two superstars. This win also means it will host its quarterfinal game of the knockout round of the in-season tournament, which will take place during the first full week of December.
Los Angeles definitely played its type of game on this night. It allowed Utah to shoot just 38.8% from the field, which helped it score a solid 24 fast-break points while holding Utah to just eight points in that department. It had 35 assists while holding a healthy advantage in rebounding and free throw attempts.
The team has a three-game winning streak and has now won six of its last seven games. It should be relatively fresh and energetic for Wednesday’s game against Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the 9-5 Dallas Mavericks.