The Los Angeles Lakers held a clear advantage in fast break points but it was not enough to come away with a win as they fell to the Memphis Grizzlies, 107-99. The loss snapped the Lakers’ winning streak at Staples Center at six games.
Ivica Zubac received a second consecutive start as JaVale McGee remained out due to illness. Though this time it came with Tyson Chandler also unavailable because of back spams.
Zubac and LeBron James picked up where they left off against the New Orleans Pelicans, as the young center was the beneficiary of several of his passes. James also found Brandon Ingram with some regularity as the two continue to work on their chemistry.
Ingram opened the third quarter by making three baskets, which helped the Lakers cut into their deficit. James then began to assert himself on offense by attacking the basket with plenty of frequency.
Defensive breakdowns and turnovers hamstrung the Lakers and prevented them from ever taking control of the game. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 3-pointer to beat the buzzer gave the Lakers a 75-72 lead headed into the fourth quarter.
It remained a back-and-forth affair when Memphis began to pull away late behind a 3-pointer and basket in the paint from Marc Gasol and consecutive threes by Mike Conley. James had a 3-pointer of his own during the Grizzlies’ flurry but the Lakers were unable to keep pace or get stops.
Garrett Temple’s corner three pushed the Grizzlies’ lead to a game-high 10 points with 1:30 remaining and effectively dashed the Lakers’ hopes at comeback despite their 5-0 spurt.
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