Jazz hit all the right notes against Lakers
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, who had a team-high 22 points, attempts to get past four Lakers players in their game on Monday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES • With Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Mike Conley Jr back in the fold, the Utah Jazz made quick work of hosts Los Angeles Lakers in the second straight match-up between the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, prevailing 111-97 on Monday.
With the Jazz having earned a home win over the Indiana Pacers last Friday, Utah coach Quin Snyder chose to rest several regulars for the first match-up at the Lakers, losing 127-115 in overtime over the weekend.
But this time, the Jazz seized control early and led by as many as 25 points in the second half, showing why they are not only the leaders of the Western Conference (43-15) but also the league.
With the return of Gobert, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the Jazz finished with a 52-36 advantage on points in the paint and a 42-32 rebounding edge. The growing maturity of their play even without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, who missed both games with injury, is giving the team belief they can fight for a maiden championship.
"We still have a lot of work to do, but we can compete with any team in this league," Favors said. "We're going to see this team again down the road, so we just wanted to do the things we needed to get a win."
Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 22 points off the bench, while fellow reserves Joe Ingles had 21 points, Bojan Bogdanovic had 19 and Royce O'Neale 13.
Talen Horton-Tucker topped the Lakers with a career-high 24 points, while Kyle Kuzma totalled 17 points, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dennis Schroder added 15 points apiece.
Los Angeles received some good news on the injury front regarding LeBron James and Anthony Davis, with James doing light work while Davis could return next week. The Lakers (35-23) have slipped to fifth in the West in their absence, but the team do not want to risk further injury, with limited minutes planned for Davis.
After the loss, the Lakers head out for a four-game road trip starting against the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow, while the Jazz travel to Houston to take on the Rockets today.
REUTERS
