Undermanned Jazz to host Lakers
SALT LAKE CITY -- Several shrewd trades during the summer brought improved depth to the Utah Jazz and positioned the team to be a rising star in the NBA's Western Conference this season. After one game, that depth is already being tested.
Utah opened the season with usual starting forwards Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors sidelined with injuries. Hayward is out through at least mid-November after fracturing his left finger in the preseason. Favors missed the opener against Portland on Tuesday because of lingering knee and IT band issues. He practiced with the team on Thursday, but remains questionable.
The Jazz missed both players in a 113-104 loss to the Blazers. Utah's offense went ice cold over the final 3 1/2 minutes -- despite an outstanding individual effort from Joe Johnson, who is starting in place of Hayward and finished with a team-high 29 points on 12-of-16 shooting.
Learning how to play without a pair of key players is something Utah coach Quin Snyder said the team must do if it wants to live up to preseason expectations.
"We can't wake up every morning wondering when they'll be back," Snyder said. "They'll be back when they're back. We can't let that be a distraction. We need to lock in and just compete with who we have."
Facing the Los Angeles Lakers in Friday night's home opener should present much less of a challenge for the Jazz. The Lakers are coming off a franchise-worst 17-65 season and enter their post-Kobe Bryant era with talented and raw building blocks such as Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell and rookie Brandon Ingram.
Los Angeles got off to a good start Wednesday night, winning in coach Luke Walton's debut. The Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter, beating the Houston Rockets 120-114 behind Clarkson's 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 20 points from Russell
For a team that tasted victory so infrequently a year ago, rallying against a quality opponent felt like a welcome change of pace. Los Angeles struggled at times before halftime, but played with a degree of energy and enthusiasm not seen during much of the 2015-16 season.
Walton said the offense is ahead of the defense at this point because his team played unselfish basketball against Houston. Players shared the ball and worked it around to whoever had an open shot. It paid off in terms of execution.
"I know it sounds basic but I think it's something that it is hard to buy into because if one guy's doing it then you don't want to give the ball up because you might not get it back," Walton said. "But as soon as multiple people start buying in and the ball can move side to side you're going to get good shots."
Utah is the first stop in a four-game road swing for Los Angeles. The Lakers also travel to Oklahoma City, Indiana and Atlanta over a six-day stretch before returning home to face Golden State. After Friday, the Jazz head out for a pair of road games against the Clippers and Spurs over a three-day stretch.
Utah won the season series 3-1 a year ago and hasn't lost at home to Los Angeles since falling 100-97 on February 25, 2015. The Lakers' lone victory came on April 13 in Bryant's final game of his NBA career when he totaled 60 points to lead his team to a 101-96 victory.