After a three-day breather, the Los Angeles Lakers are back in action Thursday night, heading to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz. On paper, this might look like a manageable matchup-the Jazz are sitting at 10-15-but don’t let the record fool you. Utah has quietly won five of their last eight, and they’ve shown they can light up the scoreboard when they get rolling.
Given where the Lakers are defensively right now, there’s no room for complacency. This team has struggled to string together consistent stops, and that becomes even more of a concern with a shorthanded roster heading into this one. The injury report isn’t doing them any favors: Austin Reaves remains sidelined with a calf strain, and now they’ll be without starting center Deandre Ayton, who’s dealing with elbow soreness.
Ayton’s absence looms large. He’s been one of the more consistent forces in the Lakers’ frontcourt this season, putting up 15.3 points and nine rebounds per game while shooting a blistering 71% from the field.
That kind of efficiency doesn’t come easy-it’s a mix of smart positioning, strong finishes around the rim, and teammates finding him in the right spots. He’s been a reliable interior presence, both as a scorer and a rebounder, and his work on the glass has helped stabilize a team that’s still trying to find its defensive identity.
Without Ayton, the Lakers will need to get creative in the paint. Expect more small-ball looks, and potentially a heavier workload for the backup bigs. That could open the door for more transition opportunities for Utah, who won’t hesitate to push the pace if they sense a mismatch.
After Thursday’s tilt in Utah, the Lakers will return to L.A. for a pair of games against the Clippers-first on Saturday, then again on Tuesday, December 23. That’s a tough little stretch, especially with injuries piling up and the defense still searching for answers. But first, all eyes are on Salt Lake City, where the Lakers will try to hold off a scrappy Jazz squad that’s playing better than their record suggests.