The Lakers had to dig themselves out of a hole on Sunday, and Luka Doncic made sure they did exactly that.
Los Angeles went into the Delta Center and survived a wild one, rallying from an 18-point deficit to beat the Utah Jazz 132-123 and move to 3-0 on the season. It was the Lakers’ first road game after opening the 2026-27 campaign with wins over the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, and it turned into the kind of test that exposed some issues even in victory.
The biggest problem was on the glass. Utah controlled the boards 51-30, a glaring mismatch that underlined an early-season concern for JJ Redick’s team. The Lakers simply did not have an answer inside, and the second-unit center minutes stood out for all the wrong reasons.
Walker Kessler, facing his former team for the first time, didn’t make much of a dent. He finished with two points, seven rebounds and one block, but also had four fouls and took only two shots.
Kevon Looney didn’t do much to settle things down behind him, playing just five minutes off the bench and posting two points and two rebounds. For a Lakers team that needs more from its backup bigs, Sunday was a rough look.
The start was ugly, too. Los Angeles came out flat and couldn’t get much of anything going in the opening quarter, which helped Utah build that 18-point cushion.
Against a young Jazz group, that kind of slow burn could have turned into a bad loss. Instead, it flipped into a showcase of how much firepower this Lakers group can bring when it starts rolling.
Doncic was the engine. He put together his best all-around game of the season, finishing with 52 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and two steals. Once he got going, Utah had no way to slow him down, and by the end of the night he was drawing MVP chants at the free-throw line.
Austin Reaves gave him plenty of help. He scored 29 points on just 12 shots, and the Lakers’ backcourt kept stringing together the kind of easy chemistry that made them so dangerous a season ago.
That was enough to turn a shaky road start into another win, though the rebounding issue and the lack of punch from the center spot are hard to ignore.
With the comeback complete, the Lakers now turn to Tuesday, when they host the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena. Portland will also come in undefeated at 2-0.
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Lakers Already Have A Walker Kessler Problem They Can't Ignore
Walker Kessler gave the Lakers exactly the sort of start they were hoping for in the season opener, but his quick fit also highlighted how thin they are behind him. Los Angeles does not have a dependable backup center in place, and with Kessler still working back from a previous injury, the team is already in a spot where one good game can sharpen the need for more frontcourt help rather than ease it.
The Lakers are reportedly keeping an eye on the market for another big man, which makes sense given the strain they could face if Kessler has to carry too much too soon. Managing his workload is going to matter all season, and the early concern is not about whether he can help, but about how often the Lakers can ask him to do it without leaving themselves exposed elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Passed On A Dalton Knecht Deal For One Frustrating Reason
The Lakers spent part of the roster-cutting process looking for a way to create room without simply giving something away, and Dalton Knecht briefly surfaced in those conversations. According to the talks with Milwaukee, Los Angeles explored moving Knecht and Jericho Sims as it tried to get under its roster limit, but the sides could not line up on the draft-pick compensation attached to the deal.
Jericho Sims was the key piece in those discussions, and the price attached to him proved to be the sticking point. Rather than meet the Bucks asking price, the Lakers moved on and released Knecht instead, leaving the front office to solve its roster crunch without completing the trade it had considered. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Is Forcing A New Lakers Debate Already
Austin Reaves has wasted no time making the Lakers think bigger about how this offense should be built. In the 125-117 win over the Clippers, he led Los Angeles with 28 points while Luka Doncic added 23, and the early season production has already put both players on the same scoring total through two games. For a team that spent the offseason reshaping its identity, that kind of balance has made Reaves impossible to ignore.
The praise has followed. James Worthy, Derek Fisher and former player Kevin Garnett have all singled out Reaves for the creativity and skill he brings, along with the way he affects the team beyond just scoring. The question now is not whether he belongs in the conversation, but how the Lakers sort out a rotation and pecking order when he keeps playing like this. [Read more 🡒]