The much-awaited return of LeBron James from a sciatica injury looked to be in jeopardy as the Los Angeles Lakers were down against the Utah Jazz in the early goings of the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.

The Lakers, however, went on a mini-run to steal the lead, 89-88, after Luka Doncic's layup. From there, the momentum shifted to the Purple and Gold, outscoring the Jazz in the third frame, 37-22.

At the 8:25 mark of the fourth quarter, James secured a double-double in his season debut after his nifty assist to Deandre Ayton. The four-time MVP had a huge smile as he headed to the bench after Utah sued for time.

The Lakers cruised to the win, 140-125, for their third straight victory and improved to 11-4.

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The 40-year-old James, who officially set a new record by playing in his 23rd season, finished with 11 points and 12 assists on top of three rebounds and one steal in 30 minutes. He also surpassed Reggie Miller for sixth place in most career three-pointers.

James still looked a little jittery in his first action in several months. He admitted before the game that he needed to work on his stamina, as his “lungs feel like a newborn baby.”

Now that he has gotten his feet wet this season, it will only be a matter of time until the future Hall of Famer regains his rhythm. It, however, remains unclear if coach JJ Redick will be extra cautious about James' playing time.

The Lakers will have an extended layoff before meeting the Jazz again on Sunday.