The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night in the NBA In-Season Tournament’s last group play match.

 

The Lakers achieved their goal of clinching the group and moving on to the quarterfinals by smashing the Jazz 131-97. Los Angeles, one of the top two seeds in the Western Conference, will host their quarterfinal game prior to Las Vegas hosting the tournament’s semifinals and championships. Their flawless 4-0 record in group play is the reason for their current standing.

LeBron James scored eight points without any help from D’Angelo Russell to start this game. James got off to a good start for the Lakers, making two free throws and a three-pointer to help them lead 11–7. With the help of the three-point shot, LeBron James became the first player in league history to score more than 39,000 points.

 

The Lakers led by ten points at 24-11 after easy layups from Christian Wood, Taurean Prince, and Anthony Davis. The Lakers pounded the Jazz low for the first time this season.

Los Angeles led 32–17 entering the second quarter after Austin Reaves made a late three-pointer. In the first quarter, Davis led the way with eleven points and nine rebounds on his own. Lakers starting wing Cam Reddish was sidelined for the rest of the game due to a groin injury sustained in the first quarter. Max Christie took over for Reddish.

 

The Jazz’s quick run to begin the second half cut the lead to double figures. As Russell put the Lakers back ahead with a 16-point shot and forced Utah to take a timeout, Davis kept applying pressure down low.

The Jazz failed to stop the Lakers from getting into the paint and trying to score from free throws, which gave Los Angeles a 62-41 halftime lead.

 

After failing to make a 3-pointer in the first half, the Jazz were behind by 15 points, but they fired up the third quarter with two straight 3-pointers. Still, in an attempt to ignite a Lakers comeback, Russell and LeBron James Jr. each scored a string of three-pointers and finished a slam.

After Rui Hachimura added two consecutive triples to the game, the Lakers would maintain a comfortable 102-75 lead into the fourth.

 

The Lakers won because the Jazz were unable to pull off a stunning comeback. James finished with seventeen points, seven rebounds, and nine assists, while Davis finished in just twenty-four minutes with twenty-six points, two steals, and sixteen rebounds. That neither player played in the fourth quarter is noteworthy because the Lakers host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in the second half of a back-to-back.