SALT LAKE CITY — LeBron James grabbed the ball from the net and slammed it onto the court, the Lakers defense again wasting a possession with inactivity and lousy execution.
Wednesday, in the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break, they looked slow. They looked unfocused. And, most notably they looked pretty terrible.
In some ways, this was all predictable, the Lakers playing lifelessly with an eye on the upcoming week off after an emotionally and physically draining first 52 games of the season.
But part of the reason the Lakers (32-20) looked so disinterested Wednesday in a 131-119 loss to the Jazz (13-40) had to do with just how locked in they’d been for the last month.
One game after Luka Doncic marveled at how connected the Lakers have been playing, the team unraveled as their intensity faded. LeBron James turned the ball over on one possession in the backcourt fumbling the ball on a pass that went to no one. Doncic rifled a pass at Austin Reaves’ feet, the two players getting crossed up on their timing.
And Jaxson Hayes, suddenly a critical part of the Lakers’ plans, exited with a facial contusion after only eight minutes. The injury forced the Lakers to lean on newly signed Alex Len, who struggled on both ends of the court in his first game after signing Tuesday for the remainder of the season and finished with just four points.
James scored 18, Doncic, hampered with foul trouble, had 16 and Reaves scored 15, making just one-of-his 10 threes.
The Lakers, never fully engaged, made 17-of-30 free throws. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak.
The Lakers, missing Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent for injury-management reasons heading into the break, had noticeably less energy and grit without the two of them. The team returns to the court Wednesday in Los Angeles against Charlotte.
Dalton Knecht, playing for the first time since the rescinded trade with Charlotte, scored 10 points off the bench and Bronny James had a career-high nine points.
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