LOS ANGELES — It was just an exhibition game, but the Jazz showed a lot of heart in a second-half 99-86 comeback win over the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday night at the Staples Center.
The Jazz had trailed by 11 points at halftime but caught up with a strong third quarter and then turned on the gas early in the fourth behind second-year center Enes Kanter and veteran Jamaal Tinsley.
Kanter finished with his third straight double-double this year, getting 14 points and 14 rebounds. The most amazing thing was that he scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter when the Jazz made their move. He could have had more but was taken out as both teams cleared their benches with five minutes left.
Tinsley, who missed Friday night’s home win over Oklahoma City for “personal reasons,” finished with 11 points and five assists in 18 minutes. Marvin Williams scored 14, while Al Jefferson and Gordon Hayward each added 10 for the Jazz.
For the Lakers, it was their third straight exhibition loss in three games. They got 18 points from Kobe Bryant in 24 minutes, while Metta World Peace scored 13 and Pau Gasol 11.
The Lakers took a 46-35 halftime lead over the Jazz, but the Jazz stormed back to tie the score at 69 after three quarters.
That’s when Kanter went wild. His burst gave the Jazz an 81-72 lead before both teams cleared their benches.
The Lakers had lost their first two exhibitions game handily, by 27 to Golden State and by 18 to Portland. Bryant had missed the Portland game with a strained shoulder. Meanwhile, the Jazz bounced back from a close loss to Golden State with a convincing win over Oklahoma City Friday night.