The Los Angeles Lakers played about as bad as they possibly could, but when you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it tends to make up for a lot.
Davis and James each posted a double-double as the Lakers survived terrible shooting and ball security to finish out their road trip 4-0 with a 94-92 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The victory was the fourth straight for the Lakers, who improved their record to 6-2 and sit atop the Western Conference standings.
Davis was outstanding on both ends of the floor, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. He was crucial in the Lakers not allowing the game to slip away in the first half.
James stepped it up in the second half, scoring 21 of his 26 in the final two quarters while adding in 11 rebounds and seven assists. The performances were needed to overcome the team’s worst performance of the season so far.
The Lakers shot just 43.7% from the field and 29% from 3-point range. Additionally, the team’s 17 turnovers allowed the Grizzlies to push back ahead after a quick Lakers start to the game. The Grizzlies were able to remain in the lead for much of the contest and held a two-point advantage with 5:18 remaining before the Lakers’ stars took over.
Davis knocked down a corner 3 which was followed by a short jumper and a beautiful fadeaway from James. The two then linked on a perfect pick-and-roll to push ahead by five and James followed with another unbelievable fadeaway before blocking Brandon Clarke’s jumper on the other end.
A pair of Davis free throws put the Lakers ahead by seven with under a minute remaining, basically icing the game.
Dennis Schroder struggled shooting, but still finished with 12 points and six assists and was the only other Laker in double-figures. Montrezl Harrell added nine points and seven rebounds off the bench. The Lakers reserves weren’t up to task, being outscored by Memphis’ bench 36-18, but L.A. made up for it by dominating on the glass to the tune of a 52-38 advantage.
The Lakers defense did still have a good outing overall, holding Memphis to just 41.4% shooting from the field while keeping their top players Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson and Jonas Valanciunas to a combined 13-for-36.
Next up for Lakers
The Lakers return home for games against the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls before heading back on the road for a pair of contests against the Houston Rockets.
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