SUMMARY
- The Los Angeles Lakers will be facing the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center tonight.
- The Lakers have a 29-26 record, and the Jazz are close behind with a 26-28 record.
The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center tonight. The 17x NBA champs have a 29-26 record and are coming off a well-deserved win against the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers emerged victorious thanks to LeBron James, who made 25 points and 8 assists on the night. Anthony Davis also had an impressive game, putting up a double-double (20 points and 14 rebounds).
The Jazz, on the other hand, have a 26-28 record. They are coming off a loss against the in-form Golden State Warriors. Despite the loss, Colin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson had a decent outing, both scoring 22 points each. Both teams will be looking for a win tonight, but the Jazz might have the advantage, mainly because of the absence of the Lakers‘ star player.
LeBron James will miss the LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz game tonight
After the Pistons game, NBA insiders and reporters mentioned that LeBron James will miss the game vs the Utah Jazz. When asked about his availability for the game, LeBron kept it short, and claimed that he will be sitting this one out.
LeBron will not play in a back-to-back tomorrow pic.twitter.com/MmHazRzaJ8
— Oh no he didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) February 14, 2024
The reason for his absence would be an ankle injury, and the Lakers would have to make do with Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves. Along with James, Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Cam Reddish, and Jarred Vanderbilt are also out for the game tonight.
Los Angeles Lakers injury report
- LeBron James (out)
- Max Christie (out)
- Gabe Vincent (out)
- Cam Reddish (out)
- Jarred Vanderbilt (out)
Los Angeles Lakers expected roster
- Anthony Davis
- Austin Reaves
- D’Angelo Russell
- Spencer Dinwiddie
- Rui Hachimura
Utah Jazz injury report
- no injuries reported
Utah Jazz expected roster
- Lauri Markkanen
- Collin Sexton
- John Collins
- Walker Kessler
- Keyonte George
Fortunately for the Jazz, they have a clean injury report for tonight’s game. That might be an advantage to their goal of bagging a win against a weakened Lakers side.
The Lakers are favored despite LeBron’s absence
The Lakers have recently been struggling without LeBron and AD at times. But with Spencer Dinwiddie’s arrival, it could be light at the end of the tunnel for the franchise. The former Nets star’s addition could give LeBron some breathing space to rest, without worrying about a solid backup. That tilts the weighing scale in the Lakers’ favor for tonight’s game, and AD could well and truly lead the charge vs the Jazz.
The last time these two teams faced off was in January 2024. The Jazz won 132-125, with the help of Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton. The duo could have a decent game tonight as well, but the lack of momentum and form does not do the Jazz any favors. The Lakers could take advantage of this with a fairly new roster to get the win tonight.