1 of 9
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James returned.
The Lakers introduced a new starting lineup on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies that they hope will stick and played with a renewed defensive tenacity.
Anthony Davis dominated when he wasn’t tending to an apparent left shoulder injury that he played through.
The combination helped lead the Lakers to a 116-110 win over the Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena in what may have been their most impressive performance since the first week of the season, considering the quality of the opponent.
“Against those guys, you have to play as hard as them, at the very least, to have a chance to win – our guys did that,” coach JJ Redick said. “Our game discipline was really good. In terms of what we were trying to do defensively, we did a really good job.”
James appeared to be rejuvenated after missing the previous two games because of left foot soreness, giving him eight days of rest, with his renewed energy apparent moments after tipoff.
“I felt pretty good,” James said. “It’s very rare throughout the course of a season where you can take advantage of a schedule and I was able to do that over the past week.”
Early in the first quarter, James (18 points, eight assists and eight rebounds) had an emphatic dunk in transition, had a chase-down block against Desmond Bane and then tipped in a putback layup in 20 seconds to give the Lakers an early lead.
“[The energy] was where I wanted it to be,” James said.
But it was Davis who did the heavy lifting for the Lakers, who moved to 14-12 with the victory after losing eight of their previous 11 games.
Davis finished with 40 points, tying a season-high, on 15-of-22 shooting (9 of 12 on free throws) to go with 16 rebounds.
He knocked down all four of his midrange shots after entering Sunday shooting 48.8% from the area (15 of 31) in December.
“It forces defenses to honor space and then it allows him to then create opportunities to draw fouls,” Redick said. “So it’s important.”
Davis went back to the locker room after appearing to hurt his shoulder midway through the third quarter while chasing down a defensive rebound, falling to the floor before being tended to by the team’s medical staff.
Davis tried playing through the injury but left with the Lakers leading 81-61 at the 5:30 mark of the third.
“It was a little stinger,” Davis said. “Went in the back and got some work done. I had four fouls, so it was time for me to come out anyway. I wasn’t going back until the fourth, and here I got some treatment and the feeling back and strength back for me to finish the game.”
The Grizzlies took advantage of Davis’ extended absence, closing out the third on a 16-5 run to cut the Lakers’ once 23-point lead (81-58 midway through the third) to nine (86-77) entering the fourth.
But the Lakers took back control of the game once Davis returned to the Lakers’ bench early in the fourth and eventually onto the court with just over nine minutes remaining.
Davis scored 12 points of his scoring total in the final eight minutes to seal the win over the Grizzlies, who entered Sunday as No. 2 in the Western Conference standings and winners of 10 of their last 11 games.
The Grizzlies (18-9) were led by Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Jackson fouled out with 4:12 left in the game, with the Lakers leading 107-98.
The rest of the Grizzlies scored 85 points on 29-of-84 shooting (34.5%).
Memphis also finished with 21 turnovers for 27 Lakers’ points, which was offset by the Lakers’ season-high 23 turnovers for 24 Grizzlies’ points.
Austin Reaves added 19 points and eight assists for the Lakers.
Third-year wing Max Christie started on Sunday, becoming the fourth player after D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish and Dalton Knecht to get a shot to start alongside James, Davis, Reaves and Rui Hachimura (eight points, six rebounds).
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Redick said. “And we really feel like as a staff Gabe [Vincent] has been fantastic the last couple weeks, particularly the defensive end with his physicality and on-ball stuff. And he’s also had some good offensive games as well. The size and just the athleticism, and the fact that Max has a really good feel for the game and he can move, was important.
“And then just in terms of his long-term outlook and his growth, I think these opportunities are great for him. With young guys these opportunities are great for them to grow not only confidence but also just the learned experience of our knowledge of being in different situations.”
Christie helped limit Ja Morant to 20 points on 6-of-21 shooting to go with seven rebounds and six assists.
“My mind was just focused on trying to make it as tough as I could for him,” Christie said. “He’s a really dynamic player. He’s a really good player. So I [wanted] to just do as good of a job as I can, just making it tough for him. And I thought I did a decent job of that.”
Originally Published:
Source link
Whether you're a startup or an established brand, business directories offer an affordable, yet powerful tool to elevate your brand recognition and reach. Sign up, stand out, and let your business soar to new heights, sign up to one of our directory websites:
Canyon Crest Directory
Riverside Ca Business Directory
The Riverside Coupon Directory
Newspaper Ads Canyon Crest CA
Click To See Full Page Ads
Click To See Half Page Ads
Click To See Quarter Page Ads
Click To See Business Card Size Ads
If you have questions before you order, give me a call @ 951-235-3518
or email @ canyoncrestnewspaper@gmail.com
Canyon Crest Guide
5225 Canyon Crest Drive Ste.71 #854 Riverside CA 92507
Tony Ramos 951-235-3518
For great backlinks to your website sign up to one of our directory websites:
Canyon Crest Directory
Riverside Ca Business Directory
The Riverside Coupon Directory
