NBA: Lakers empty the bench in lopsided win over lowly Jazz

The Los Angeles Lakers closed out the regular season with a dominant 131-107 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz on Sunday. Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton both posted impressive double-doubles, with 22 points and 10 rebounds each, to lead the Lakers to their third straight win.

LeBron James played just 17 minutes but contributed 18 points in the game, completing his 23rd regular season. The Lakers (53-29) clinched the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the Houston Rockets in the first round next week. Dalton Knecht added 17 points, while Nick Smith Jr. chipped in 12, and Bronny James scored 11 points. This victory marked the Lakers' most wins in a season since 2010-11 (57).

On the other hand, Marcus Smart posted five points and 10 assists in the win, as the Lakers closed out their regular season on a high note.

For Utah (22-60), Oscar Tshiebwe had a standout performance with 29 points and 17 rebounds, while Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh each contributed 15 points. Cody Williams and Bez Mbeng both scored 14 points, and Blake Hinson added 10. Despite their efforts, Utah recorded their second 60-loss season in franchise history.

The game saw Utah rallying late, trimming a 17-point halftime deficit to 12 thanks to a 7-0 run by Tshiebwe and Mbeng. However, the Lakers answered with a 7-0 spurt of their own, capped off by Bronny James' 3-pointer to push their lead to 95-74 at the end of the third quarter.

After a layup by Williams brought the Jazz within 19, Knecht nailed two consecutive three-pointers, and Jarred Vanderbilt added a dunk to extend the Lakers' lead to 107-80 with 8:22 left in the game. Chris Manon's layup with 3:30 remaining ensured that all 14 Los Angeles players scored in the lopsided victory.

The Lakers took control early, grabbing a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter, highlighted by a layup from LeBron James for a 21-10 advantage. James finished the first quarter with 10 points, helping Los Angeles to a 32-22 lead heading into the second.

Mbeng's three-pointer helped Utah cut the deficit to nine points, but Los Angeles responded with a 9-2 run, including triples from Smith and Jake LaRavia, to push the lead to 54-38. Hachimura added his third three-pointer of the first half, followed by a layup from James, giving the Lakers a comfortable 62-45 lead at halftime. Hachimura and James each scored 18 points in the first half, while Sensabaugh led Utah with 15.

As the game progressed, the Lakers kept their foot on the gas, securing a convincing win to cap off a successful regular season.

-Field Level Media/Reuters