Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Lakers Beat Jazz 116-108 to Clinch Top Seed in West
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
August 4, 2020

Share

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Anthony Davis had 42 points and 12 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs by beating the Utah Jazz 116-108 on Monday night.

The Lakers (51-15) own a six-game lead over the second-place Los Angeles Clippers and have five seeding games let before starting their first playoff run since 2013.

“If you’re winning enough games to secure the No. 1 seed, you’re building the right habits that are going to be necessary for you to win in the playoffs. Obviously we have bigger aspirations than the No. 1 seed, but we are proud of the accomplishment and we’ll enjoy it while we’re getting ready to get our group ready for the playoffs.” Lakers coach Frank Vogel

“If you’re winning enough games to secure the No. 1 seed, you’re building the right habits that are going to be necessary for you to win in the playoffs,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “Obviously we have bigger aspirations than the No. 1 seed, but we are proud of the accomplishment and we’ll enjoy it while we’re getting ready to get our group ready for the playoffs.”

Utah (42-25) has clinched a playoff berth and is fifth in the West, a half-game behind Houston and a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City.

Davis’ final basket resulted in a 4-point play with 42 seconds left, as he sank a 3-pointer while getting fouled by Rudy Gobert and made the ensuing free throw to give the Lakers a 114-104 lead.

Utah’s Donovan Mitchell answered with a 4-point play of his own that cut the margin to 114-106 with 36 seconds remaining, but the Jazz couldn’t get any closer. Davis made two free throws with 5.2 seconds left to wrap up the scoring.

LeBron James scored 22 points, Dwight Howard had 11 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 10 for the Lakers.

Mitchell scored 33 and Mike Conley had 24 for Utah. Gobert added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz.

Lakers Stayed in Front the Rest of the Way

The Lakers were coming off a 107-92 loss to Toronto in which Davis shot just 2 of 7 and scored 14 points. Davis was much more active Monday right from the start, as he scored 13 points and shot 6 of 14 in the first quarter alone.

Davis had 24 points by halftime, marking the 20th time this season he’s scored at least 20 points in a half.

“Coach just told me to be more aggressive,” Davis said. “He felt like, and I felt like too, that I just kind of played into Toronto’s defense, accepted the double-team. I was making the right plays, but I still have to be aggressive at the same time.”

Utah stayed close and only trailed 58-56 at halftime because it got its own stellar start from Mitchell, who scored 21 points in the first two periods.

Mitchell then connected on a 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 run by Utah to open the second half.

But the Jazz got increasingly careless with the basketball as the third quarter progressed, enabling the Lakers to seize control of the game. The Lakers scored 14 straight points and went on a 19-2 run late in the third quarter.

“When they turn the pressure up, we’ve got to be able to execute even better,” Mitchell said. “We turned the ball over way too many times. They did a great job of taking us out of our actions. … We went up six, they turned it up even more and next thing you know, we’re down 12 or whatever.”

Even after Utah’s Emmanuel Mudiay snapped that run by hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Jazz still trailed 86-76 heading into the final period.

The Lakers stayed in front the rest of the way.

Tip-Ins

Lakers: The Lakers made 50% of their field-goal attempts Monday after shooting below 40% in each of their first two games since the restart. “Our shooters haven’t shown up yet,” Vogel said before the game. “That’s the only thing. We’re playing really good basketball. We’re playing extra-pass basketball. We just had a couple poor shooting nights.”

Jazz: Utah was swept by the Lakers in the regular season. The Jazz lost to the Lakers 95-86 at Los Angeles on Oct. 25 and 121-96 at Utah on Dec. 4. … Utah shot 12 of 43 (27.9%) from 3-point range Monday and is 28 of 108 (25.9%) from beyond the arc in three games at Disney. “We got some good looks,” Mitchell said. “We got what we wanted. Sometimes they don’t fall in. When that happens, what we do on the defensive end has to turn up even more.”

Making a Statement

ESPN cameras showed James arrived at the arena before the game wearing a T-shirt with the message 8:46, the amount of time prosecutors initially said a Minneapolis police officer had a knee on George Floyd’s neck before Floyd’s death on May 25.

Although prosecutors later said Derek Chauvin’s knee was actually on Floyd’s neck for 7:46, the 8:46 figure has become a major symbol in the protest movement that followed Floyd’s death, with some demonstrations including periods of silence that last that length of time.

“No one deserved to lose their life when it could have been prevented, from what I’ve seen and what the world has seen,” James said. “That’s what the T-shirt is all about. The world is watching.”

Up Next

Lakers: Face Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Jazz: Face Memphis on Wednesday.

DON'T MISS

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

DON'T MISS

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

DON'T MISS

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

DON'T MISS

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

DON'T MISS

The ‘Six’ Wives of King Henry VIII Sing Their Hearts Out in Fresno

DON'T MISS

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

DON'T MISS

Musk Could Be Headed for a Washington Exit After Turbulent Times at Trump’s DOGE

DON'T MISS

Outrage Grows Over Maryland Man’s Mistaken Deportation to El Salvador Prison

DON'T MISS

Kings County Chase Ends in Meth Arrest, but Deputies Are Looking for Driver

UP NEXT

Webb Pitches 7 Strong Innings as Giants Beat Astros

UP NEXT

Curry Drops 52 as Warriors Beat Grizzlies, Move into Fifth in West

UP NEXT

Dodgers Extend Perfect Start Behind May and Betts’ Heroics

UP NEXT

Lakers Hold Off Rockets With 6 3-Pointers Apiece From Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent

UP NEXT

Athletics Bat Boy Stewart Thalblum Takes Down Drone in Left Field

UP NEXT

NFL Postpones Tush Push Decision but Passes Other Rule Changes, AP Source Says

UP NEXT

March Madness: It’s South Carolina vs. Texas and UCLA vs. UConn in Women’s Final Four

UP NEXT

Flores Homers and Drives in 4 to Lead Giants Over Astros

UP NEXT

Glasnow Pitches 5 Scoreless Innings and Dodgers Beat Winless Braves

UP NEXT

Braves’ Jurickson Profar Hit With 80-Game PED Ban

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

46 minutes ago

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

56 minutes ago

The ‘Six’ Wives of King Henry VIII Sing Their Hearts Out in Fresno

1 hour ago

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

1 hour ago

Musk Could Be Headed for a Washington Exit After Turbulent Times at Trump’s DOGE

2 hours ago

Outrage Grows Over Maryland Man’s Mistaken Deportation to El Salvador Prison

2 hours ago

Kings County Chase Ends in Meth Arrest, but Deputies Are Looking for Driver

2 hours ago

Xavier Becerra Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race

2 hours ago

Reps. Costa, Gray Propose Bill to Address Critical Doctor Shortage in Rural Areas

2 hours ago

Here’s How the New NFL Rules on Kickoffs and Overtime Will Work

3 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

In early March, trustees of the State Center Community College District passed a resolution to adopt a district-wide Project Labor Agreement...

20 minutes ago

West Fresno satellite campus of Fresno City College
20 minutes ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

39 minutes ago

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

A new Gallup poll shows that extreme weather events have sharply increased in the Western U.S., with 43% of residents affected, largely due to wildfires and extreme heat, while concerns about climate change continue to rise. (Shutterstock AI)
45 minutes ago

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

An Amazon distribution facility in Garner, N.C., on Feb. 8, 2025. Amazon has reportedly put in a last-minute bid to acquire all of TikTok, the popular video app, as it approaches an April deadline to be separated from its Chinese owner or face a ban in the United States, according to three people familiar with the bid. (Kate Medley/The New York Times)
46 minutes ago

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office is asking for public assistance in locating the family of 60-year-old Jonathan Scott, who passed away from natural causes on March 17, 2025. (Fresno County SO)
56 minutes ago

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

1 hour ago

The ‘Six’ Wives of King Henry VIII Sing Their Hearts Out in Fresno

Photo of Incline Village, Nevada, taken on Feb. 2, 2029. A 7-year-old girl, Adelyn Grimes of Reno, was killed by a falling boulder while climbing a hillside at Diamond Peak ski resort in Incline Village, Nevada, over the weekend. (Shutterstock)
1 hour ago

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

Elon Musk speaks at a town hall Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP/Jeffrey Phelps)
2 hours ago

Musk Could Be Headed for a Washington Exit After Turbulent Times at Trump’s DOGE

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend