Still hanging on, the Lakers rebound from the Grizzlies

THE Grizzlies went to Los Angeles to challenge a team of Lakers who is going through a complicated period with only one win in his last five outings.

I Marcus Smart takes responsibility for opening the scoring, the Grizzlies’ response is immediate with an “alley” in between I Morant (16 points, 11 assists) et Christian Koloko. However, it is the home team who lead this match to the end behind a Jake LaRavia (21 points, 9 rebounds) scored 7 of the first 16 points for the Lakers (16-5).

As so often this season, Memphis can count on their bench to get into the game to pick up a result, and especially a good passing game. Saint Aldama who scores the winning shot, but also 3+1 doc GG Jackson takes care of equalizing with a long shot (28-28).

To end this first act, LeBron James (31 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) in turn shoots the three and finds Nick Smith Jr who also appears from far away and the Lakers lead 39-31 after twelve minutes of play. If Los Angeles’ lead increases to fifteen points, JJ Redick’s men experience a five-minute layoff during which they do not score a single point. Memphis then took advantage of the opportunity to lead 18-0, and Jake LaRavia was the one who calmed the fire with a shot from a distance (58-58).

The Grizzlies ate at the end of the match

Just before halftime, LeBron James gave Los Angeles some breathing room, and the Californians led 66-60 when they returned to the locker room. After the break, the Grizzlies continued to chase the score despite another 3+1 by Santi Aldama. On the Lakers side, Luka Dončić (34 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists) makes the first shot from distance after five unsuccessful attempts, but the man of this third quarter is called Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (20 points, shooting 6/10, from distance 4/6). The winger scored 12 of his 20 points in the period, including two long shots that allowed the Grizzlies to tie the game before the final act (96-96).

This fourth quarter was an exchange of shots in which for several minutes neither team was able to take a two-possession advantage. You have to wait for a long shot Jake LaRaviaserved by Luka Doncic to give the Lakers a seven-point lead. In the process, LeBron James continues in the racket, while Marcus Smart takes the responsibility to definitively seal the fate of this match with a long-range dart.

So the Lakers won 128 to 121 and found some color, while Memphis conceded its third straight loss.

WHAT TO REMEMBER:

– The Lakers remain undefeated in clutch time. If the Lakers disappoint, there is one area where they are untouchable, in the clutch. Eleven times, Los Angeles found itself in situations where the maximum difference was five points with five minutes to go and they never lost. This meeting against Memphis was no exception as the Lakers led by one point five minutes into the game. JJ Reddick’s men then went on an 8-2 run in less than a minute to seal the match and win.

– Strong with weak, weak with strong. If Memphis has a record of 15 wins and 18 losses, it can mainly be explained by their inability to beat teams with more than 50% wins. This season, the Grizzlies have played 18 games against positive franchises and the observation is clear: Ja Morant’s teammates have a record of 2 wins and 16 losses.

– The first round is for Los Angeles. Grizzlies and Lakers will fight twice in three days, and this first battle went in favor of the Californians, especially thanks to the LeBron James – Luka Doncic duo, the author of 65 points. However, Memphis was not unworthy and could, once again, count on the contribution of its bench to stay in the game. The “second unit” brought 66 points, but it was not enough. See you this week for the third and final matchup of the season between these two teams and, so far, the Tennessee franchise has not been able to overcome the team coached by JJ Redick.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / 3 points in an attempt; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.