LOS ANGELES — He was the caboose during the Lakers’ pregame run onto the court, and he was the first one introduced before tip-off, drawing the loudest reactions of the night.
And with each flashy pass that assisted a teammate for a basket, the sold-out crowd of 18,997 inside Crypto.com Arena roared.
Because as much as Tuesday night was about another brilliant performance from Luka Doncic (37 points, 10 assists and five rebounds), who received “M-V-P” chants when he stepped up to the free-throw line, or the Lakers showcasing their offensive potential when they’re whole, the focus of the Lakers’ 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz was LeBron James making his long-awaited debut to begin his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.
And by the time he subbed out midway through the fourth quarter, leading the Lakers during a 20-9 run in the period to open what was at the time a game-best 19-point lead, James provided a glimpse of what he could add to a Lakers team that started the season strong without him.
The 40-year-old James had an 11-point, 12-assist double-double in 30 minutes in his first game of the season, putting on a passing masterclass and setting up a variety of teammates for easy looks after missing training camp and their first 14 games due to sciatica.
Austin Reaves (26 points on 7-of-11 shooting) was able to pick his spots offensively.
Deandre Ayton (20 points, 14 rebounds) was a frequent recipient of James’ playmaking. Jake LaRavia (15 points) also found easier scoring opportunities because of James.
The result of James’ debut, and the offense clicking, especially in the final three quarters when they outscored the Jazz 113-90, was the Lakers having their highest-scoring game of the season.
The Lakers shot a season-best 59.5% from the floor (50 for 84), despite their 3-pointers not falling at a high clip (11 for 32; 34.4%), and improved to 11-4 on the season.
Keyonte George (34 points, seven assists and four rebounds) and Lauri Markkanen (31 points) led the Jazz (5-9).
Keyonte George, who was born 10 days after James’ NBA debut in 2003, had 34 points, seven assists and four rebounds to lead the Jazz. Lauri Markkanen added 31 for Utah, which has lost five of seven games.
The Jazz jumped out to a 36-27 lead at the end of the first quarter, and held a 71-67 advantage at halftime against a Lakers defense that was often a step behind the play.
But the Lakers tightened their defense from there, holding the Jazz to 36 points over the next 18 minutes while building a game-high 23-point lead in the fourth.
James didn’t score in his first 11 minutes on the court, but his two 3-pointers in the first half moved him past Reggie Miller for the sixth-most in NBA history.
James made a driving layup in the third quarter to extend his streak of double-digit scoring performances to a record 1,293 games – every game in which he has played since Jan. 6, 2007. The four-time league MVP didn’t score again, but the Lakers moved comfortably ahead, closing the third quarter on a 21-5 run.
More to come on this story.