It can be frustrating to see the Utah Jazz lose epic games like the one they just did to the Los Angeles Lakers. Especially when it looked like it could have been an easy route in that first quarter. However, the Lakers were a good test for the Jazz to see how strongly they would compete against a fellow West contender. In that context, they passed the test.
Look, moral victories don't count for all that much in the long run, but early on, they can mean a lot. Games like these are demonstrative of where the Jazz are as a team. Not just because the Lakers are good but becuase Utah got to see how they would truly measure up without Walker Kessler to the team that actually has Walker Kessler.
It could have been much worse, as the Lakers definitely showed Utah how strong they can be, as they came back. Even when LA managed to take the lead before halftime, the Jazz were pretty resilient to stay in it. They won the rebounding battle in a matchup in which many thought the Lakers were going to destroy, 51-31.
Even better, Luka Doncic had to go for 52 just to beat the Jazz on their home floor. Is that a surprise? No, but the fact that he had to go to those lengths to barely squeak by Utah shows how good the Jazz are as a unit.
That bodes well for the rest of the season
Again, no one likes taking a home loss, but we finally got a good glimpse of just how hood this Jazz team can be. The Lakers aren't among the NBA's best teams, but they're definitely not among thre worst. It took Luka going on a massive heater just to beat them, showing that Utah's vision is definitely solid.
If the Lakers had controlled the pace of the whole game, this would be more discouraging. But when they punched back after the Jazz punched first, Utah still held their heads up high. They even took the lead back at various points in crunchtime. Just showing that they can go shot for shot with one of the best scoring duos in the NBA is an encouraging sign.
This is basically the perfect blend of a stepping stone and a growing pain for a team that is on the rise in the West. The Jazz may not have been the victors from this game, but proving they are absolutely in the same league as the Lakers is a perfect consolation prize.
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