The Lakers are one step closer to Las Vegas. The Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz 131-99 on Tuesday to win their group and advance to the quarterfinals in the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament. It appears the in-season tournament came at the perfect time for Lakers. Just 3-5 on the season and riding a three-game losing streak when group play started, L.A. swept through the qualifying round, going 4-0 against the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah to win Group A in the Western Conference. A couple of weeks into the competition, the Lakers notched their third straight win to bring their record to 9-6. L.A. […]