Lakers fall to Jazz in 4th straight loss.
With six games left in the regular season, the Lakers made their play-in chances slimmer, dropping to the Jazz with LeBron out of the lineup for the second straight game, falling to Utah 118–103, moving the Lakers back to the 11th seed out of the play-in spot with a 31–45 record.
Utah’s Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Jazz, scoring a game-high 29 points on 11-of-22 (50%) shooting overall from the floor, with teammate Rudy Gobert right behind him with an outing of 25 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocks.
This morning, it was reported that Anthony Davis could make his return from an ankle injury this Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans in a must-win matchup that can help solidify their play-in hopes.
After tonight’s loss, Frank Vogel reported that it would be up to the Lakers trainers to decide if LeBron James and Anthony Davis will make their return from injury on Friday against the Pelicans.
“If there’s any chance those guys can be out there, they will be. They want to be back as quick as they can, but those are medical decisions.” Vogel said.
Russell Westbrook and Dwight Howard were the only two Lakers to finish with over 20 points in tonight’s loss to Utah.
Russell Westbrook finished first in scoring on the Lakers with 24 points on 50% shooting, going 9-for-18 overall from the floor, adding 7 assists and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes of action.
Russell Westbrook spoke on tomorrow’s matchup against the Pelicans and how important it is to be healthy down the stretch:
“There’s a lot of ifs and maybes and what-ifs. I’m a big believer in playing the cards you’re dealt.” Westbrook said.
Dwight Howard finished right behind with a solid outing of 21 points on 9-of-13 (69%) shooting overall, knocking down a corner three on his only attempt of the night from downtown and adding 12 rebounds to complete his double-double in 30 minutes played.
“It’s a little shocking,” Dwight Howard said when asked about the play-in, adding: “But you know anything can happen when you play this sport. It’s just not a good feeling knowing how we wanted to start the season and where we thought we’d be right now.”
Malik Monk was the only other starter to finish in double figures for the Lakers, scoring 14 points on 42% (5-for-12) shooting, adding 4 assists and 4 rebounds in his efforts.
The Lakers’ next matchup is tomorrow night against the New Orleans Pelicans, who sit at 33–43, making it another must-win matchup for the Lakers after tonight’s loss with their play-in hopes in jeopardy.