SALT LAKE CITY — The Lakers’ biggest area of needed improvement hasn’t been a secret.

From Coach JJ Redick to star guard Luka Doncic, multiple members of the team openly spoke about the need for collective improvement on the defensive end of the court since their home loss to the San Antonio Spurs last week. They also acknowledged that Sunday’s road win against the Phoenix Suns was a step in the right direction, but more progress was needed.

And even though the first half of Thursday night’s game against the Utah Jazz represented a step in the wrong direction, the Lakers produced enough timely defensive stops in the second half – to go with an explosive offensive performance from Doncic – to leave the Delta Center with a 143-135 victory over the Jazz.

“Our defense in the first half was not good,” Redick said. “Challenged them at halftime. Thought our defense was much better in the second half. It wasn’t perfect, it was much better.”

Doncic had his league-leading sixth 40-point game of the season, finishing with 45 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals for a triple-double, to lead the Lakers (19-7).

And after the Lakers trailed for much of Thursday’s game, the 26-year-old guard made back-to-back 3-pointers to give them their largest lead of the game, 131-119, late in the fourth.

“I could do so much more,” Doncic said. “But I think [my] one turnover is the best [stat] on this stat sheet. We had seven turnovers [as a team], which is impressive for us and we won the game. And again, that’s what matters. We locked in a lot in the second half. We did a great job.”

LeBron James added 28 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, while Marcus Smart had 17 points (5 for 9 from 3-point range) and four rebounds before fouling out in the fourth.

On a night when they were without two of their top four leading scorers in Austin Reaves (27.8 points per game) and Deandre Ayton (15.3 ppg), all five Lakers starters scored in double figures, including Rui Hachimura (13 points), who made a crucial 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 134-127 lead with 1:14 left after the Jazz cut the margin to four points. Jaxson Hayes added 16 points.

“Luka, LeBron, they really just bought into the off-ball stuff, and we milked a couple plays over and over again,” Redick said. “They ended up getting the ball and then either having open shots or driving. They did a good job of that, and that’s gonna be a continuous thing throughout the year. Obviously, when you miss Austin, he’s probably, actually, he is our best off-ball player. Getting those guys to buy in has been good.”

Jarred Vanderbilt had seven points and 11 rebounds (five offensive rebounds) in his second game back in the rotation. Jake LaRavia had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench. Maxi Kleber had a team-best plus-17 individual plus/minus.

“Maxi and Vando just came in and really changed the game and they were killing it,” Hayes said. “They really impacted winning today and Jake too. So those guys just came in and brought us a spark.”

Utah’s 78 points through the opening two quarters were the most points the Lakers have allowed in a half this season.

The Lakers’ lacked defensive urgency and energy early, a factor in the Jazz scoring 41 points in the first quarter and 37 points in the second, respectively, in addition to Utah finding a rhythm from behind the arc.

The Lakers struggled with their perimeter containment on drives and closeouts, leading to the Jazz shooting 70% from the field (14 of 20) in the opening quarter – 54.5% from 3-point range (6 for 11) – and attempting 11 free throws.

The Jazz maintained their offensive rhythm in the second period, but the Lakers, led by Doncic and James, kept pace with Utah, scoring 41 second-quarter points to go into halftime trailing 78-73 despite their defensive struggles.

“JJ told us we got to go back to see what was on the scouting report, the first three words,” Doncic recalled. “So that’s what we did. It was ‘intensity on defense.’ Our second half was very good.”

The Jazz attempted a season-high 47 free throws (making 31) and the Lakers’ frustration boiled over in the third quarter as Smart, Hayes and Doncic all received technical fouls, but the Lakers still kept the game close.

They tied the score at 102 apiece late in the third, winning the quarter 29-28 to enter the fourth trailing 106-102.

The Lakers opened the fourth on a 7-2 run, taking a 109-108 lead after a pair of Kleber free throws for their first advantage since early in the first.

“We got good stops,” James said. “That was the most important thing. Obviously we know this Utah team could score a lot of points at very high rate, but it was very imperative that we got stops. We had to get stops to start that fourth, and then we allowed our offense to click.”

Smart’s three 3-pointers in the fourth helped the Lakers build a 125-116 lead before he picked up his sixth foul.

Keyonte George had 34 points and eight assists to pace Utah, which played without leading scorer Lauri Markkanen (groin).