Three Takeaways From Jazz's Loss vs. Lakers in LeBron's Debut

The Utah Jazz came up short in playing spoiler against the Los Angeles Lakers in what was LeBron James' official regular season debut for the two's first meeting of the new year, as the Jazz would lose 125-140 on the road at Crypto.com Arena, and marks their ninth total loss of the season at just under 15 games.

The Jazz were able to stay competitive against a talented Lakers group until getting a bit further into the second half. Utah had each of their starting five members find their way into double figures, having some nice flashes from their young talent and Lauri Markkanen.

However, in the end, it wouldn't be enough for Will Hardy's young crew to piece together what would've been a quality upset victory, and now fall to a 5-9 on the regular season.

Here's three of the top takeaways to gather from the Jazz's loss in Los Angeles:

1. Luka Shines While LeBron Takes Backseat

Nov 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles the ball against Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) in the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While all eyes were on what LeBron was set to bring in his season debut for year 23, it was Luka Doncic who had the biggest night of anyone on the Lakers' roster in the midst of their double-digit victory.

In all, Doncic led the way for the game with 37 points, pairing with five rebounds and 10 assists, proving to be a potent offensive threat throughout the night that presented some trouble for this inconsistent Jazz defense to contain. LeBron had 11 points for himself, but also had 12 assists to his name as well.

James is bound to catch fire as he navigates deeper into the season, but it's clear that for Luka, he's got an MVP-caliber campaign underway, and the Jazz weren't going to be the ones that stopped his dominance.

2. Markkanen & George Becoming Appealing Offensive Duo

Nov 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) reacts to his game winning shot during double overtime against the Chicago Bulls at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

The Jazz weren't able to get the job done for a win on the road, but that didn't stop their duo of Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George from sparking up the stat sheet once again.

The pairing combined for 64 points on the night as each scored over 30-plus on their behalf, with George leading the way with a 33-point outing himself, his highest scoring performance of this season, and the second-best offensive outing of his career. For Markkanen, he kept his All-Star campaign on track, extending his streak of scoring 30 points or more to four.

Defensively, the Jazz had their shortcomings, and even on the offensive end as a whole, Utah wasn't perfect either; struggling to shoot from deep, and turning the ball over nearly 20 times. But Markkanen and George made for a couple of nice bright spots that bring some added optimism amid the loss.

3. Free Throws Were the Difference

Nov 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; NBA female referee Sha'rae Mitchell (98) talks with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the second quarter of the game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The biggest difference between the Jazz and Lakers on the night that was a big contributing factor for the end result came down to opportunities at the free throw line.

The Jazz combined for 30 personal fouls on the night, leading to 40 free throws shot by the Lakers. As for Los Angeles, they had just 21 fouls, that led to the Jazz shooting less than half of their mark at 18. To Utah's credit, they shot a near-perfect 17-18 from the line in the process, but when those opportunities don't match, Utah finds itself at a heavy disadvantage.

The Lakers were getting to the paint, finding contact, and as a result, cashed in big from the free throw line–– and it was a big part leading to the Jazz's demise.

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