NBA

Short-Handed Lakers Drown in Salt Lake City

Ricky Rubio scored 25 points in the first half, as he continued his habit of playing well against the Lakers

SALT LAKE CITY - On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Utah Jazz, 117-110, at the Vivint Smart Home Arena for their eighth defeat in the past 10 contests, as the injury-plagued Lakers wind down what has been widely considered a successful season.

With Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Isaiah Thomas all out injured, Lakers coach Luke Walton seemed to employ a point guard by committee mentality since Ball, Ingram and Thomas played as the team's primary playmakers when healthy.

Against the Jazz, Julius Randle took on a great deal of the creative burden and finished the night with a near triple-double: 12 points, nine assists and 12 rebounds. Also, Tyler Ennis, who averages only 11 minutes per appearance, played 22 minutes and put up 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a standout performance for the 23-year-old.

"Guys like Tyler, who haven't had a chance, I thought he was really good tonight," Walton said after the game. "It's great to see those guys get an opportunity. We tried running Julius at some point tonight, and he actually looked pretty good at it. He made some plays for us, but then, I think that kind of got him out of his beast mode rhythm that he's been in later in the game."

Randle referred to the experiment as "point guard by committee" and instead lamented his five turnovers.

"I can still find the balance," Randle said about playmaking for his teammates versus attacking on his own. "I just had too many turnovers."

Truth be told, the Lakers started the game on fire and made their first eight field goals, with rookie Kyle Kuzma, who attended the University of Utah, making his first four shots.

Kuzma had a healthy contingent supporting him in the arena with University of Utah supporters, Laker fans and Kuzma's friends all seranading the rookie with chants of "Kuuuuz" and cheering his every basket.

"It's always cool coming back here," Kuzma said after the game. "I really, pretty much grew up here, maturity wise being here in Utah. It just has a place in my heart, so it's just really special to have a reception like that." 

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By the end of the first quarter, the Lakers held a seven-point advantage, but Ricky Rubio seemed to be getting into an offensive groove. The Spaniard scored 10 points in the first quarter to tie Kuzma for game-high honors at that stage.

In the second quarter, Rubio stepped up to another level and scored 15 points with a perfect quarter that included five free throws, two three-pointers and four field goals overall. Rubio did not miss a shot in the quarter and led all scorers with 25 points at the intermission.

Rubio eventually ended the night with 31 points to lead all scorers. Fueled by the Spaniard's hot shooting, the Jazz outscored the Lakers 41-29 in the second quarter despite the Lakers shooting 50 percent from the field in the period.

Leading by five points, the home team came out with energy in the third quarter and built up a 15-point lead early in the second half. The Jazz still held the same advantage with 3 minutes remaining in the third period, but the Lakers rode their second unit to a 14-4 run over the final three minutes of the quarter.

Suddenly, the Lakers only trailed by six points with 12 minutes remaining, and the result seemed in doubt. The Lakers cut the difference to five points for a moment, and the Jazz led by as many as nine points, but when the six-minute mark came about, the Lakers still trailed the Jazz by six points.

Heading down the home stretch, too many defensive breakdowns and a lack of offensive execution saw the purple and gold trailing by double digits with two minutes remaining in the game.

The comeback would not be completed, and the Jazz held on for their 45th win of the season. Meanwhile, the Lakers suffered their 44th defeat and eighth loss in the final 10 games.

The Lakers now only have five games remaining in the 2017-18 season--all at STAPLES Center.

Notes: Caldwell-Pope finished with a team-high 28 points. Kuzma finished with 26 points on the night and played 37 minutes.

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