Jazz's Defensive Woes Persist Against the Lakers

• NBA
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Utah Jazz

In a recent home game, the Utah Jazz fell again to the formidable Los Angeles Lakers, marking their sixth loss in eight games. The Jazz's defensive struggles were highlighted as the Lakers had their way on the court, more or less getting precisely what they desired in their second visit to Salt Lake City this season. Since the trade deadline, Utah has failed to clinch a single win, going 0-3.

"Defense wins championships" is an adage the Utah Jazz seems to be struggling with this season.

Where is the Defense?

The game against the Lakers clearly displayed the Jazz's defensive issues. The Lakers shot 57.3% from the floor and 46.2% from deep within the Delta Center. The Lakers earned 80 of their 138 points from within the paint or at the free-throw line, a testament to their aggressive play and the Jazz's lackluster defense.

Offensively, the Lakers were led by Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis, who scored 36 and 39 points, respectively. Utah's on-ball pressure was noticeably lacking, as they only managed to force eight turnovers from the Lakers.

All-Around Scoring

Despite the loss, six Jazz players reached double figures against the Lakers. However, this might be indicative of a problem rather than a strength. Utah's best players did not have the ball in their hands as much as expected, which was particularly noticeable in the case of Lauri Markkanen. Going into the fourth quarter, 16 points down, Markkanen scored just 13 points on ten shot attempts.

Second Half Struggles

After trailing by just one point at halftime, the Jazz saw themselves being outscored by 15 points in the third quarter. This has been a recurring issue for the Jazz this season, with the team being outscored in the third quarter over 52% of the time, ranking 22nd in the league in third-quarter field goal percentage.

With momentum, the Lakers extended their lead to 20 points in the fourth quarter and didn't look back. The Jazz will be hoping to bounce back in their upcoming game against the Warriors before they get six days off for the All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.