For the first time this season the King’s court reopens. Forward LeBron James walked out of the home tunnel at Crypto.com Arena Tuesday night marking his long-anticipated return to the Lakers’ home court. The energy inside the building carried into a second half surge that powered the Lakers to a 140–125 comeback win over the Utah Jazz.
But the night didn’t start the way the crowd hoped. Utah came out early in transition and jumped to a 36–27 lead after the first quarter. The Lakers struggled to match the Jazz’s pace and physicality at the rim, allowing quick buckets while settling for jump shots on the other end. Even as they tightened up offensively in the second quarter, Utah’s rhythm was still relevant, sending the Lakers into halftime trailing 71–67.
A big reason for Utah’s early success was because of guard Keyonte George, who was born ten days after James’ NBA debut. George matched his season high with 34 points, coming just two nights after hitting a double-overtime game-winner against Chicago. Forward Lauri Markkanen added 31 points, with 22 of those coming in the first half.
Then came the second half — and guard Luka Doncic.
Doncic carried a massive portion of the scoring load, delivering one of his most complete performances with 37 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. His shot-making and physicality at the rim kept the Lakers in the game. Guard Austin Reaves added 26 points, attacking off the dribble and hitting perimeter shots along with center Deandre Ayton controlling the paint with 20 points and 14 boards, giving the Lakers more second-chance looks and defensive stability in the second half.
James, now in his 23rd season, finished the night with 11 points, 12 assists and four rebounds, but his impact went beyond the stat sheet. He scored a pair of first-half 3-pointers that pushed him past Reggie Miller for sixth place on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers list. Additionally, his driving layup in the third quarter kept his record of double-digit scoring games alive. He now has 1,293 straight double-digit games dating back to Jan. 6, 2007. His impact didn’t stop there as he helped control the tempo, dictating spacing and having a clear sense of urgency in every possession in the second half.
And the rest of the roster responded.
The true turning point came on the defensive end. The Lakers held the Jazz to just 36 points in the second half showing a suffocating defensive performance defined by stronger switches, cleaner rotations and James setting the tone. Utah, which had found success playing fast in the first half suddenly looked rattled as the Lakers increased the pressure.
With the win, Los Angeles continues to build momentum early in the season as they are now 11-4 on the season and will look to travel to Utah on Sunday to play the Jazz again at 5 p.m.