James notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists in the Lakers’ win
The king is back.
After missing the first 14 games of the 2025-2026 season with sciatica on his right side, LeBron James, four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, returned for the Lake Show.
And in his first appearance in a record 23rd NBA season, he did not disappoint, adding 11 points and 12 assists en route to the Los Angeles Lakers’ 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.
Guard Luka Doncic led the team with 37 points, while shooting 50% from the field and adding 10 assists to the night.
In James’ first return to the hardwood, he opted to take a pass-first approach, facilitating the offense and finding open teammates rather than running the offense through his own scoring production.
The forward took just seven shots Tuesday night and converted four of them, including going 66.7% from beyond the arc.
Despite taking just seven shots, James played 30 minutes of the affair, showcasing that he still has the endurance and athleticism to keep up with the game’s best.
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Outside of James and Dončić, there were three other Laker double-digit scorers. Center Deandre Ayton continues to prove to be a formidable addition to the roster from the Lakers’ offseason, adding a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds on an ultra-efficient 10-for-13 shooting from the field.
Guard Austin Reaves – who is averaging 32 points per game on 50.4% shooting from the field and 36.2% from beyond the arc – dropped 26 points and five rebounds in James’ return to the Laker starting five.
It is to be seen if the presence of James, a ball-dominant scorer and the main facilitator of the team, will mitigate the production Reaves saw in the games leading up to the return of the future Hall of Famer.
Forward Rui Hachimura notched just six points on 3-for-8 shooting from the field, his worst scoring production of the 2025-2026 season, and lowest point total since March 24, 2025.
From the Lakers bench, forward Jake LaRavia scored 16 points on 60% shooting from the field and, like Ayton, proved to be another solid addition to the Lakers roster from the offseason. LaRavia is averaging 10.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game.
The win over the Jazz gives the Lakers their third consecutive victory and improves the squad’s record to 11-4, which gives them the fourth seed in the Western Conference if the season ended today.
Efficient shooting from the field and 3-point land ultimately gave the Lakers the victory in Los Angeles, shooting 60% and 34%, respectively, compared to the Jazz’s 52% and 29% shooting splits.
The Lakers also dominated the Jazz in the paint, scoring 18 more points in the paint compared to their opponent, and grabbed eight more rebounds – two areas that led to the Lakers’ demise last season, and why the Lake Show brought in Ayton to the squad.
After a four-game hiatus, the Lakers will return to the hardwood against the Jazz for another regular-season showdown, this time in Salt Lake City.
The Lakers will tip off at 5 p.m. in Utah.