Coming off a tough loss in Emirates NBA Cup group play against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers were offered the perfect bounce back spot as they hit the road to take on the struggling Utah Jazz.
The two teams met earlier during the 2024-25 season when the Lakers scraped by with a win, and their rematch was even closer as the purple and gold entered the game shorthanded. Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish were all ruled out, leaving head coach JJ Redick with an even shorter rotation than usual.
Despite the circumstances, Los Angeles was able to escape Utah with a 105-104 victory to get back into the win column.