The Los Angeles Lakers return home Tuesday, where they will put a season-best five-game winning streak on the line against the Utah Jazz in an NBA Cup West Group B game.
The Lakers have taken advantage of undermanned teams of late, with victories in the winning streak coming over the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid, the Memphis Grizzlies without Ja Morant and the New Orleans Pelicans sans CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray on Saturday.
In the 104-99 victory at New Orleans, the Lakers had their own personnel issues to overcome, with Cam Reddish (foot) and Rui Hachimura (ankle) both out. Rookie Dalton Knecht started and scored a career-best 27 points.
Over his past three games, two of them starts, Knecht has averaged 20.0 points in 31.5 minutes per game. He was 5 of 10 from 3-point range against the Pelicans and has gone 12 of 19 (63.2 percent) in his three-game productive stretch.
“Every time (Knecht) shoots the ball, I think it’s going in,” said the Lakers’ Anthony Davis, who had 31 points and 14 rebounds against his former team. “That’s why we get so frustrated and upset with him when he doesn’t shoot. He’s a great player. He can defend, he can shoot, he can put it on the floor, he can pass. So he can do it all.”
Lakers veteran LeBron James shook off a slow start to score 21 points and deliver big baskets down the stretch. He is averaging 23.3 points, 9.2 assists and 8.6 rebounds in his 22nd season.
The Jazz have been better of late, but are coming off a second consecutive loss as they dropped a 116-105 decision Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Jazz trailed 99-76 with 11:06 remaining before they rallied to within 110-103 with 3:18 to play on a 3-pointer from Jordan Clarkson. The Clippers fashioned a quick 5-0 run and cruised to the victory from there.
Clarkson finished with 21 points off the bench, while Lauri Markkanen had 18 points with 10 rebounds. Keyonte George scored just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting for Utah and was replaced in the starting lineup to open the second half by Isaiah Collier.
“Another night where we had a variety of lineups out there, but I think that the thing we’re trying to emphasize every night is you have to compete if you want to play. That’s nonnegotiable,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said.
Markkanen believes the effort the Jazz put forth in the fourth quarter Sunday is something they can learn from and apply moving forward.
“We have that fight in us, and I think that’s what we’re trying to achieve,” Markkanen said. “We’re looking for a full game of that desperation, playing hard (and) really have that competitive edge.”
John Collins leads the Jazz with 17.5 points per game, while Markkanen is just behind at 17.3 points. Walker Kessler is the team’s leading rebounder at 10.7 per game but will miss his fifth straight game Tuesday with a right hip injury.
The Lakers are 1-0 in NBA Cup group play, while the Jazz are 0-1.
