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Luka Doncic raised three fingers toward the Utah crowd. Fans were left counting more than just his points.
Doncic hit three clutch three-pointers late in the fourth quarter and took a momentum-swinging charge to lead the Lakers to a nail-biting 132-123 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday at Delta Center. Doncic led the Lakers (3-0) with 52 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the team fought back from an 18-point second-quarter deficit.
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Guard Austin Reaves hit a dagger three with 34 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a seven-point lead. As Doncic salted the game away, he was serenaded with chants of “MVP!” Reaves finished with 29 points.
Center Walker Kessler was quiet in his return to Salt Lake City. After he joined the Lakers in a massive sign-and-trade deal that cost the Lakers two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps and a four-year, $130-million contract, Kessler was held to just two points on one-of-two shooting with seven rebounds.
Kessler had averaged 24 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the Lakers’ first two games and shot a blazing 84.6% from the field while feasting off lob passes from Doncic and Reaves.
Read more: Swanson: Luka Doncic’s trash-talking antics sharpen his edge. Lakers fans need to embrace it
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Kessler got an unremarkable mixed reception from the crowd with a large number of fans wearing Lakers colors. The Jazz didn’t play a highlight reel during the game to welcome the center back, as many teams often do for a player who returns on an opposing team.
When asked whether Kessler’s return would spark extra motivation for the Jazz, Utah coach Will Hardy dispelled any suggestions of revenge.
“In no way is tonight about Walker,” Hardy said. “Like it’s not a, ‘Oh wow Walker’s here so we better play harder.’ We’re gonna demand the same standard that we did in our last game. Some of the story lines I don’t quite understand. Like we have a lot of love for Walker. He’s somebody that we have a great relationship with and a lot of shared experience.”
The Jazz traded for Kessler after the Memphis Grizzlies picked him 22nd overall in 2022. He emerged as a…
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Publish date : 2026-10-25 23:53:00
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