The Los Angeles Lakers face the third and final game of their road trip and the second night of a back-to-back, as they visit Utah to take on the Jazz, at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Thursday evening.
The Lakers (16-33) are 0-2 on their road trip so far, and are coming off a 105-98 loss in Portland on Wednesday. Lou Williams was the high-point man for the Lakers, as he poured in 31 points in the loss. Three other players scored in double digits in the loss, while Nick Young was the only starter to do so, as he finished with 15. D’Angelo Russell (knee, calf) has missed the Lakers’ last two games, and is set to miss one-to-two weeks. Jose Calderon started in place of Russell in Wednesday’s loss, but finished with zero points in 15 minutes. The Lakers have fallen to last place in the West, as they have lost two straight and are 3-7 in their last 10 games.
Meanwhile, the Jazz (29-18) have also lost two straight. Their most recent loss took place in Denver on Tuesday, where Derrick Favors led the team with 18 points and George Hill followed up with 17. Nonetheless, the Jazz have been hot lately, as they are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and still hang on to fifth place in the West. They also maintain one of the best defenses in the league, holding opponents to an average of 95.5 points per game. They are 6-1 in their last seven games at home, and are 16-8 at home this season. Gordon Hayward is Utah’s leading scorer, averaging 21.8 points per game, while Alec Burks is slowly coming into form and could soon become a top offensive weapon. Burks has scored 13 points in three straight games, while averaging 22 minutes per game over those three games. This marks the first of a four-game home stand for the Jazz.
