SALT LAKE CITY – In the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz took off, gaining momentum. Kris Dunn ignited Utah’s energy with an emphatic dunk over Lakers guard Dylan Windler. Shortly after, Dunn showcased his skills by dribbling past D’Angelo Russell for another powerful slam.
The Lakers’ defense wisely stepped aside during Dunn’s attacks this time. Dunn contributed to the next highlight by serving as a facilitator, feeding John Collins for an alley-oop that electrified the Delta Center crowd.
LeBron James will be absent when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Delta Center on the second night of back-to-back games. James has rarely played in Utah in recent years.
This absence presents an opportunity for the Jazz to secure a crucial win over the Lakers as they approach the All-Star break. After trading Kelly Olynyk, Simone Fontecchio, and Ochai Agbaji before the deadline last week, the Jazz suffered consecutive losses to the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors.
As a result, they’ve slipped to the 11th seed in the Western Conference, trailing the Golden State Warriors by 1.5 games for the final Play-In Tournament spot. Before the All-Star break, the Jazz will face the Warriors on Thursday.
