The Los Angeles Lakers managed to outlast the Memphis Grizzlies in a tense overtime game, winning 117-111.
Unlike Game 3, it was a slower start for the Lakers as they failed to see much go down before a Jarred Vanderbilt tip-in. Vanderbilt made his presence felt on both ends, blocking shots, running hard in transition, and even knocking down a pair of 3-pointers to put Los Angeles up 12-10.
Austin Reaves was able to alleviate the pressure by getting to his spots, while Rui Hachimura kept the Lakers slightly ahead by two with a patented midrange jump shot. LeBron James finally got involved offensively with a pair of free throws and a pull-up 3, putting L.A. up 29-23 after one.
Troy Brown Jr. shook loose for a couple of easy shots at the rim early in the second while Malik Beasley got a rare 3 to go to keep the Lakers up eight. Los Angeles’ defense was stifling as they blocked multiple shots in the paint, while James took advantage of his matchups to put them up 14 points.
It was Reaves’ turn to carry the offense, draining a deep 3-pointer and attacking the rim to give the Lakers a 53-38 advantage. However, Memphis started to see shots go down to close the half which left Los Angeles with just a 54-52 lead heading into the locker room after a 14-1 run.
Anthony Davis finally scored his first basket of the game with a jump hook in the lane, though the Grizzlies lived in the paint to keep the game tight. D’Angelo Russell got himself going with runners in the lane, but Memphis retook the lead off a Xavier Tillman dunk.
The Laker defense had no answer for Desmond Bane who remained hot shooting the basketball, falling behind by five in the process. Los Angeles generated several good looks in the final minutes of the third but went into the fourth down 83-81.
Reaves hit a corner 3 to give the Lakers a brief lead, but a couple of no-calls that went against them allowed the Grizzlies to respond with a mini spurt to go back up top. Bane continued to torch the Lakers offensively, but they did a good job of limiting everyone else and keeping it a one-possession game.
Russell came up big down the stretch for the purple and gold, knocking down three consecutive triples to give them a 99-97 lead. The tension and pressure were enormous in the closing minutes as both teams fought tooth and nail. The final seconds featured a Bane layup that gave the Grizzlies a lead before James tied it up on the other end with his own layup to force overtime.
Davis and James picked up where they left off in the fourth, scoring on consecutive layups to give the purple and gold the lead. With the game tight, it was once again James who came through in the final minute to give Los Angeles the hard-earned victory.
