After treating his ankle, LeBron James regained his place in the Lakers' starting five, and fortunately! In “back-to-back”, the Lakers had to do without Anthony Davis this time after his mammoth game the day before, and LeBron completely signed a triple-double (23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists) in the victory in Memphis: 136-124.
With ants in his legs, LeBron was everywhere in the first quarter, with muscular drives and an alley-oop… The young Grizzlies were overwhelmed by the pace of the Lakers, and the gap grew: 30-20, in the 9th minute . Despite the absence of Davis, the attack is running smoothly, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Rui Hachimura are valuable.
On the Grizzlies side, Desmond Bane is at his level, and he receives support from the returning Brandon Clarke. The Grizzlies eat up their delay, and even go ahead (47-44). But LeBron James, in Draymond Green mode, distributes the game wonderfully in the high or low post, and it is Hachimura who fuels a 12-2 to take back control. At the break, the Lakers lead 67-61.
The LaRavia surprise
Returning from the locker room, the yellow waves start again, and this time, the Lakers engage in a 3-point contest. Like the Russell-Hachimura tandem, they started the second half with an 8 out of 10 from 3-point range! The Grizzlies are stunned, and the Lakers take a lead of up to 27 points (98-71). All that remains is to manage the last fifteen minutes, and it won't be easy… In the wake of the LaRavia-Bane duo, the Grizzlies end the quarter with a 21-4!
Unleashed, LaRavia brings his team to -7 at the very start of the 4th quarter, and the public believes in the comeback of the year. But Hachimura, once again, cools the room with his 3-pointers, and the Lakers secure a 5th victory in a row to maintain hope of clinging to 6th place, synonymous with direct qualification for the playoffs.
What you must remember
– The return of Brandon Clarke. After almost 13 months without playing due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, the leaping power forward made his comeback. We found him as he was before: dynamic in defense, and opportunistic in attack. The audience gave him a warm ovation.
– Hachimura unleashed. Davis absent, Hachimura made up for her perfectly with one of his best career matches: 32 points at 7 out of 8 from 3-point range! All with 10 rebounds. After the game, LeBron praised him for his consistency and his ability to put the game away.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
