Stars Comeback Falls Short in 118-125 Loss to South Bay Lakers
G League Salt Lake City Stars

Stars Comeback Falls Short in 118-125 Loss to South Bay Lakers

Published on January 30, 2026 under NBA G League (G League)
Salt Lake City Stars News Release


The Salt Lake City Stars could not complete the comeback against the South Bay Lakers, falling 125-118 on Friday night in El Segundo. The loss marked the first time the Lakers have defeated the Stars this season, though Salt Lake City still holds a 2-1 advantage in the season series.

South Bay jumped out to an early lead and continued to build its advantage throughout the first quarter. The Stars chipped away at the deficit and tied the game multiple times in the second quarter but were unable to take the lead. The Lakers carried a 60-55 advantage into halftime.

South Bay pushed its lead to as many as 22 points in the third quarter, but Salt Lake City mounted a rally and pulled within three points at the 7:01 mark of the fourth. Despite the late surge, the Lakers held on down the stretch to secure the win.

The Stars' comeback effort was fueled by guards Sean East II and Max Abmas, who led the charge in the second half. East II scored a team-high 29 points (13-21 FGM) off the bench, adding five rebounds and five assists. Fifteen of his points came in the fourth quarter, where he shot 7-9 from the field and sparked Salt Lake City's rally.

Abmas finished with 27 points (7-11 FGM, 5-8 3PM), five rebounds and four assists, also coming off the bench. Cameron McGriff was active on the glass, grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds while adding 12 points to record his fifth double-double of the season.

South Bay was led by R.J. Davis, who scored 30 points, followed by Kobe Bufkin with 25.

The Stars remain in Los Angeles to close out the doubleheader series against the Lakers. The finale is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31, at 6:30 p.m. MT at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif. The game will stream on Prime Video and Jazz+.

HIGH SCORER HIGH REBOUNDS HIGH ASSISTS FG% 3PT% FT% REB (O-D-T)

STARS East II - 29 McGriff - 11 Crowl/East II - 5 .466 .333 .882 10-36-46

LAKERS Davis - 30 Davis/Watson - 10 Davis - 10 .485 .357 .722 13-30-43

Check out the Salt Lake City Stars Statistics

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NBA G League Stories from January 30, 2026


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