It is a limp to the finish line for the Lakers, who played their third-to-last game of the season without four of their top players.
With Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Isaiah Thomas all sidelined by injuries, the Lakers fell to Utah, 112-97.
“Obviously we want to have them out there,” Josh Hart said, “but if they’re not out there that gives the other guys the opportunity to go out there and shine, show what they can do.”
Hart stepped up as the Lakers’ leader, pouring in 25 points by scoring from all three levels. He hit just 2-of-8 from 3-point distance, but went 3-of-4 from mid-range (a weakness of his this season) and 5-of-6 around the rim (a year-long strength).
He also showed off his hops with a skying rebound that led to free throws and a huge swat on Utah’s young star Donovan Mitchell.
“Throughout the season, every time he gets the opportunity to play big minutes or have a bigger role, he has been pretty good for us,” coach Luke Walton said. “He is one of our best finishers, he is one of our best rebounders and he can push it in transition.”
Tyler Ennis also showed flashes with a career-high 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Plus, Julius Randle chipped in 17 points and four assists.
But the Lakers’ offense struggled as a whole. Without four players who average 58 points combined, L.A. shot just 39.8 percent from the field and a ghastly 5-of-25 on 3-pointers against a Utah team that boasts the league’s best defense.
Brook Lopez (0-for-10) and the bench (38.1 percent) had particularly sluggish nights, as the Lakers (34-46) clearly missed the playmaking capabilities of Ingram, Kuzma, Ball and Thomas.
The same could not be said for Donovan Mitchell, who proved why he is a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
He sliced up the Lakers’ defense for 28 points (mostly at the basket) and chipped in nine rebounds and eight assists for good measure. Meanwhile, do-it-all small forward Joe Ingles provided 22 points and 10 assists.
The Jazz (47-33), who never trailed and led by as many as 22 points, clinched a playoff spot with two games to spare.
Notes
Hart scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. … Utah uncharacteristically had a 25-18 advantage in fast-break scoring. … A sold-out crowd of 18,997 — including Eddie Murphy and Alfonso Ribeiro — packed STAPLES Center.