The Lakers, led by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, prevailed against the Grizzlies in a fiercely contested game.
The Lakers defeated the struggling Memphis Grizzlies 123–120 to secure a vital victory.
The sign 00:02 02:00 After missing some key games over the past week, LeBron James and Anthony Davis were back together and the Lakers were completely dominant. LeBron finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. AD finished with 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 36 points.
Rui Hachimura was the only other Laker to score more than 14 points, and he was plagued by foul trouble the whole evening. Reaves Austin scored 13 points. In his few minutes off the bench, Gabe Vincent played well, making his first 3-pointer upon coming back.
The Lakers made baskets early in the game on Friday night, while the depleted Grizzlies displayed their exciting youthful talent.
Although it would seem that LA would easily win this game, the Grizzlies were a serious team and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Grizzlies held it tight, preventing the Lakers from taking a commanding lead. The Lakers ended the quarter up eight points thanks to an 8-0 run.
The purple and gold stepped on the gas in the second quarter, expanding their lead to 13. This Grizzlies squad refused to give up and closed the gap to nine points. They scored 14 points off of second-chance opportunities, fully capitalizing on LA’s weakness in that area.
Rui, fortunately for the Lakers, heated up and made two straight three-pointers. GG Jackson scored 12 points in the quarter to help close the margin to three points, but it didn’t really matter.
In the first half, LA committed up to ten turnovers, a significant problem for the previous few games. Even so, they managed to maintain a 68-64 edge at the half.
The Grizzlies continued to make baskets early in the second half, forcing Darvin Ham to call a timeout to halt the bleeding as Memphis opened up a two-point lead.
Once more, it was evident that the Lakers were acting sloppily and that this game was not crucial for seeding.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers played hard and took an eight-point lead. Gabe Vincent was playing great defense on his own and it was encouraging to see him make a three-pointer. In response, the Grizzlies were able to reduce the deficit to four points.
