Following the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lkaers hit the road to face the Utah Jazz. Head coach Byron Scott decided to sit Kobe Bryant for the second game of a back-to-back resulting in Wayne Ellington getting the start at shooting guard. Ronnie Price also missed Friday’s game with a sore elbow. Jeremy Lin was named the starting point guard.
This would be the first time the Lakers face the Jazz in the regular season.
First Quarter
Enes Kanter got the game underway with a dunk on a breakaway following a Jeremy Lin turnover. Jordan Hill hit a one-foot jumper with the 24-second shot clock expiring for the Lakers first basket. Gordon Hayward drove to the basket and went to the line after being fouled. Hit the free throw. Hayward scored again on a breakaway off another Lakers turnover. Wayne Ellington got going with a jumper off a screen. Ed Davis got on the board with an easy bucket inside. Hayward hit a three to put the Jazz up for four. Davis received the pass from Lin, drew the foul and connected on the free throw. Hill hit an easy jumper over Derrick Favors. Favors counters with a bucket of his own. Favors kept it going with another basket to put the Jazz up by five. Carlos Boozer grabs his own rebound and puts it back up. Trey Burke gets on the board with a three which is countered by a three from Wesley Johnson. Tarik Black got on the board with an easy bucket. Boozer connected on another jumper. The vastly improved Ruby Gobert got involved with a basket of his own. Boozer gets to the line and connected on the free throw line. Gobert gets another basket inside.
Second Quarter
Rookie Jordan Clarkson made a six-foot jumper. Clakrson drove to the rim and drew the foul. Clarkson hit both free throws. Clarkson connected with Black with the nice dish. Black finished with a slam. Black got to the basket with ease for the bucket. Favors made a pair of free throws. Young draws the foul from beyond the arc. Young hit all three. Lakers lead up to two. Kanter headed to the line. Hit both to tie the game at 34. Hayward drove the basket and drew the foul on Lin. Hit the free throw. Jazz up three. Hayward hit Favors in stride for the easy layup. Hill got to the line after connect on a shot inside the paint. Missed the free throw. Hill hit another shot in the paint. Hayward connected on a dunk to give Utah a two-point lead. Hill connected on another jumper. Hill heated up hitting another shot at the top of the key. Gobert destroyed the rim off a pass from Hayward. Gobert was fouled and hit the free throw. Half ended with Jazz leading, 44-43.
Third Quarter
Hill got started quickly with a jumper to start the third quarter. Ellington hit a shot near the elbow. Lin got the steal, but can’t convert on the other end. Lin connected on a layup for his first basket of the game. Favors finished at the rim with an easy layup. Favors fouled Davis to send him to the line. Davis missed both free throws. Burke drilled a three to put the Jazz back up by two. Davis cleaned the glass of a Hill miss and finished with a dunk. Lin connected on a jumpshot for his fourth point of the night. Ellington made a layup increasing the Lakers’ lead to four. Favors hit a nice reverse layup. Ellington got going with another jumper. Favors continued to light it up with another easy basket. Davis got to the line for two. Davis missed another freebie. Hayward put the Jazz up one with an uncontested three. Hayward hit another jumpshot to increase Utah’s lead to three. Rodney Hood hit a three to extend the lead to six. Boozer hit his third shot of the night. Trevor Booker connected on a shot to get the Jazz back up by seven. Hayward scored again with a dunk to give Utah a nine-point lead. Clarkson headed to the line for two. Hit the first and the second. Hayward continued to score at will with another bucket to increase his total to 25.
Fourth Quarter
Nick Young pulled the Lakers to within four with a three to get the fourth quarter underway. Burke counters with a floater in the paint. Burke extended the lead to nine with a three. Young hit another shot and then got to the line on his next possession. Boozer picked up a loose ball from Young to finish at the rim. Joe Ingles hit a three to give the Jazz a three-point lead. Ingles hit a layup. Young hit a three to cut the lead to two. Young headed to the line for three free throws. Hit all three. Kanter hit a three to extend the lead to five. Hill connected on an easy bucket in the paint. Young assessed a technical foul for an altercation with Kanter. Hayward hit the free throw. Favors connected on a reverse layup. Hayward hit another three to extend lead to nine. Lin hit a shot in the paint. Lakers lose, 94-85.
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