LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 10: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after committing his third foul during the third quarter of a game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on February 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The LA Lakers dominated the Utah Jazz 132-113 on Monday night. Newly acquired from Dallas, Luka Doncic put up 14 points in his first game in a Lakers uniform. The win pushes the Lakers, now fifth in the Western Conference, to their sixth straight victory.
Coming back from a calf injury over Christmas, Doncic played limited minutes, logging just 23 on the court. In that time, he grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists.
The Staples Center was packed, with lots of fans showing off their new gold number 77 jerseys. The crowd erupted when their new star hit a three-pointer early in the game.
"Excitement level is high," said coach JJ Redick to ESPN. "Feel like it's best right now to ease Luka back in to playing NBA action. I think if it was up to Luka, he would probably play 48 minutes, but we're thinking long-term and we want to be safe."
LeBron James dominated with 24 points, hitting 10 of 17 shots. He added eight assists and seven rebounds in just 29 minutes. The deal bringing Doncic to LA sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to Dallas.
Utah's head coach Will Hardy spoke about the James-Doncic pairing: "I don't think any of us know exactly what it'll look like... But I don't see any world where those two playing together isn't a good thing. Like I said, their processing speed mentally is incredible, and so I'm sure they'll figure it out."
Now at 32-19 through 51 games, the Lakers continue their rise. They've been on fire lately, winning nine of their last ten to secure a playoff spot.
Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki watched from courtside as his former teammate made his Lakers debut. Before the game, James let Doncic choose his spot in the lineup introductions - Doncic opted to go last.
The team stays home to face the Phoenix Suns on Friday.
