By LOS ANGELES — LeBron James had 18 points, six assists and four rebounds in the first half, and the Los Angeles Lakers tuned up for the NBA postseason with a 131-107 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night.
Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each had 22 points and 10 assists. James and Luke Kennard were held out of the second half as a precautionary measure, and the Lakers closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak. They finished fourth in the Western Conference and will face Houston in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite knowing they needed both a win and Denver loss to San Antonio to secure the third seed, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said his group could not worry about factors outside their control. Instead, Redick stressed continuing to build chemistry and continuity with Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) having sustained injuries that will almost certainly keep Los Angeles’ top two scorers out for the start of the postseason.
