The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz 131-99 on Tuesday to book their place in the quarterfinals of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament. Thanks to the victory over Utah, the Lakers went 4-0 to win their group.
Prior to the start of the tournament, Los Angeles struggled to get their season on the right track. Going into the tournament, they were 3-5 for the season after suffering a three-game losing streak. In a dramatic turnaround, the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, and finally Utah to sweep Group A of the Western Conference.
“That was great that we were able to take care of business,” LeBron James said of the Lakers’ win over the Jazz, a game in which he scored the 39,000th point of his career. By winning Group A, the Lakers are set for a home game in the quarterfinals on either December 4 or 5, with a semifinal in Las Vegas on the line.
