Anthony Davis, Lakers hold on after massive third-quarter run to top Jazz
It took until the end of the third quarter for them to take off, but the Los Angeles Lakers picked up their second win inside the NBA bubble on Monday night.
The Lakers, after holding just a two-point lead at halftime, closed out the third quarter on an 18-5 run en route to their 116-108 win against the Utah Jazz.
The win officially secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the Lakers, something they haven’t had since 2010.
“To do something like that, it’s been a long time coming for Laker nation,” said Anthony Davis said, via USA Today’s Mark Medina. “We just [went] out there and tried to play, just trying to be the best version of the team that we could be. It’s a good feeling. Obviously, we’re not done, we’ve got a long way to go, but it’s a good accomplishment for our organization.”
Anthony Davis on the Lakers clinching the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2010 and being more aggressive vs Utah pic.twitter.com/0BUjZ37smn
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) August 4, 2020
A massive third-quarter run
The Lakers — who fell to the defending champions Toronto Raptors by 15 points on Saturday — bounced back and forth with the Jazz in the first two quarters and held just a two-point lead at halftime.
Utah kicked the second half off with a quick 8-2 run.
A Davis floater just under the halfway mark of the period, however, finally set things in motion for the Lakers. Davis dropped 10 of the next 18 points to close out the quarter, pushing the Lakers to a 10-point lead at the break.
Though the Jazz cut Los Angeles’ eventual 14-point lead to just six in the final minute, it was too late. The Lakers held on to grab the eight-point win, marking Utah’s second consecutive loss.
Davis led the Lakers with 42 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 13 of 28 from the field. LeBron James finished with a near triple-double, recording 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. They scored 24 points while forcing 21 turnovers.
Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 33 points, shooting 4 of 10 from the 3-point line. Mike Conley added 24 points, and Rudy Gobert finished with a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. They were the only three Jazz players to score in double figures.
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