The Utah Jazz, fresh off a thrilling 140-133 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks, will take on the Los Angeles Lakers at their home court in Salt Lake City on Thursday, December 17, 2025, at 9 p.m. EST. The Jazz, currently sitting at 10-15 and 10th in the Western Conference, will look to continue their recent momentum against a formidable Lakers team. The Lakers, with a record of 18-7 and ranked third in the Western Conference, have been a force to be reckoned with, especially against Western Conference opponents, where they boast a 13-5 record. This game marks the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Lakers narrowly winning the previous encounter by a score of 108-106 on November 24. The Jazz will be aiming to improve their conference record, which currently stands at 6-11, while the Lakers will look to maintain their strong performance against Western Conference rivals.
The Jazz have been struggling defensively, conceding the highest number of points in the Western Conference at 126.1 points per game, and allowing opponents to shoot an alarming 48.8%. In contrast, the Lakers have been more defensively solid, allowing opponents to score 118.9 points per game and shoot 49.3% from the field. The Jazz's offensive prowess is evident in their field goal shooting percentage of 45.8%, which is 2.3 percentage points lower than the Lakers' allowed percentage. However, the Lakers have a slight edge in this department with their 50.4% field goal shooting percentage, 1.6% higher than the Jazz's opponents.
Key players to watch include Lauri Markkanen for the Jazz, who is averaging 27.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. On the other hand, the Lakers' Luka Doncic is a force to be reckoned with, averaging 34.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. LeBron James has also been a standout performer for the Lakers, averaging 26 points, four assists, two steals, and two blocks over the last 10 games. The Jazz's Keyonte George has been on a scoring tear, averaging 37.0 points and 5.0 rebounds over the past 10 games, shooting an impressive 55.0%.
In terms of team performance in the last 10 games, the Jazz have a 5-5 record, averaging 119.1 points, 44.2 rebounds, 30.1 assists, 7.2 steals, and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 126.1 points per game. The Lakers, on the other hand, have a 7-3 record, averaging 118.8 points, 42.4 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 6.0 steals, and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 49.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.9 points.
Injury concerns for the Jazz include Georges Niang (out with a foot injury), Jusuf Nurkic (day-to-day with rest), and Walker Kessler (out for the season due to a shoulder injury). The Lakers are also dealing with injuries, with Maxi Kleber (day-to-day with a back issue) and Austin Reaves (out with a calf injury) on the sidelines. This game promises to be an intriguing contest, with both teams having their fair share of challenges and strengths. The outcome will likely hinge on which team can impose their defensive strategy and limit the opposition's scoring output.
