LeBron James had 26 points and 12 assists, and Anthony Davis had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 7-0 at home. Austin Reaves added 17 points for the defending NBA Cup champions, who improved to 2-0 in group play this season.

The Lakers hadn’t won six straight games since February 2021, shortly after their championship run in the Florida bubble.

Lauri Markkanen scored 25 points for the Jazz, who have lost three straight. Keyonte George scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Collin Sexton added nine of his 19 in the fourth.

Rui Hachimura missed his third straight game with a sprained ankle. Bronny James sat with a bruised heel.

Dalton Knecht could only shrug when he buried his fourth consecutive 3-pointer and sent the Los Angeles Lakers ' entire arena into a frenzy.

That was a very specific shrug by the Lakers rookie, however — the one made famous by Michael Jordan in the 1992 NBA Finals after a legendary 3-point flurry.

“Rui (Hachimura) was talking to me about (how) I need to get a 3-point celebration,” Knecht said. “I didn’t know what to do, so I just gave the shrug.”

A shrug is also the increasingly accurate response to the question many NBA fans are asking after Knecht’s 37-point barrage Tuesday night: Just how did Knecht fall to the Lakers with the 17th pick in last summer’s draft?

Knecht torched the Utah Jazz with nine 3-pointers in the Lakers’ 124-118 victory, tying the single-game rookie record. He got on a major roll in the third quarter, hitting those four consecutive 3s before adding three free throws and another triple — and yet another 3 at the start of the fourth.

“I just got in a groove,” Knecht said. “My teammates found me, and they were looking for me every time. They made it easy for me. I just had to get open and get the shot up.”

Knecht scored 21 points in the third quarter, and he had 21 consecutive points for the Lakers spanning the third and fourth. Although he didn’t score again, he had staked Los Angeles to a lead that proved insurmountable with the latest demonstration of his formidable shooting skill.

“He was phenomenal tonight,” Anthony Davis said. “When you’re hot like that, he’s special to watch. Anytime he’s shooting the ball like that, it definitely gives us energy.”

Knecht moved into the Lakers’ starting lineup four games ago, and he has been outstanding in his increased role. He is averaging 24.3 points per game while going an astonishing 21 for 31 on 3-pointers.

The Lakers have spent years trying to find a catch-and-shoot option to complement Davis and LeBron James. Although the sample size is still relatively small just 14 games into the season, Knecht appears to be exactly what the Lakers have been seeking on the perimeter.