4 Illuminating Takeaways from Jazz 139-116 Beatdown of Lakers

The Utah Jazz continued to stay on the winning track with a 139-116 victory over a floundering Los Angeles Lakers team. It was Utah's third win in four nights as the team improved to 9-3 on the year.

The Lakers lost their third straight, falling to 2-8. What did we learn from Utah blowing out the Lakers at home on a back-to-back?

Let's dive in and take a look.

Don't Be so Surprised by the Double-Digits

Having seven players score in double figures is impressive, but to have six of them accomplish it midway through the third quarter is eye-opening. Utah can score in a lot of different ways, and in hindsight, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised.

Utah possesses proven scorers up and down the roster. The Jazz starting five on Monday night have all averaged at least 18 points per game at some point in their respective careers, and that doesn't include Collin Sexton, who averaged 24.3 in 2020. Utah is second in the league in scoring averaging at 118.3 a game.

Sexton favorite for Sixth Man of the Year

Sexton could make a run at the award. He’s averaging 14.6 ppg, but those numbers are trending up. In his last six games, Sexton has averaged 18.3 ppg while seeing an increase in playing time at 28 minutes per game.

He's also been on the court to close out games and has thrived in those minutes. The newly-acquired point guard in the Donovan Mitchell trade is reaping the rewards of having veteran Mike Conley take him under his wing.

Thriving in Back-to-Backs

Utah is now 2-1 in back-to-backs this year. This is a good sign for things to come. The Jazz are deep and can plug in fresh players when the starters' legs appear heavy.

No Jazz player logged over 30 minutes on Monday night which bodes well as the Jazz travel to the east coast for a three-game road trip this week. Playing the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers in their arena will be another early-season test for the up-and-coming Jazz.

Jazz can Still Get into the Lottery

We can put the thought of tanking the 2022-23 season to rest. This team may be overachieving but provided it can stay healthy, the Jazz will make the playoffs.

If the Jazz get a lottery pick this year, it will be via the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves lost again on Monday night, and the rumors of a fractured locker room are still out there.

Minnesota beat writer of The Athletic John Krawczynski took note after Monday's beating. “The worst performance of the season. Lifeless start. No competitive fire. Bad vibes all around. An alarm bell game.”

The Timberwolves started the year 5-6 with a cupcake schedule. Their next five out of six games will be against projected playoff teams, and Jazz fans should be keeping a close eye on how it plays out.

Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.

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