Lakers stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James celebrate during a 134-127 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. (Brandon Dill / Associated Press)
If Saturday felt like a big game, the crowd booming while music thumped in the fourth quarter, it’s because the teams treated it like one with the final two weeks of the season on their doorstep.
Pushing to the finish line, both the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies needed some momentum. The Lakers were coming off a heartbreaking loss at the buzzer in Chicago, and Memphis was playing its first game after firing coach Taylor Jenkins in a surprise move.
Advertisement
And once the regular season ends, it’s very possible the Lakers and the Grizzlies will meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second time in three years.
Read more: Lakers crumble in stunner, losing to Bulls on Josh Giddey’s half-court shot at buzzer
An early lead didn’t matter much, the Grizzlies quickly catching up in a game in which neither team really could stop the other.
But in the fourth quarter, Dorian Finney-Smith fought off Zach Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr. for rebounds. Luka Doncic slid his feet to stay in front of Desmond Bane. LeBron James cleaned the glass and Austin Reaves crashed into the paint and put Memphis away with a three-point play, stamping it with an animated air punch.
Advertisement
If there was any emotional damage done by Josh Giddey’s half-court buzzer-beater or James’ late-game gaffes Thursday against the Chicago Bulls, it never showed, the Lakers fighting off the Grizzlies in a 134-127 win.
“I said before the game that we’ll be ready to play. … I’m not surprised at how hard we played and how well we played tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I made sure the group knew that I believed still, and that the coaching staff believed and they were resolute in their belief in this team.”
The Lakers’ three stars turned in high-impact games to end their trip with a win. Reaves had 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Doncic had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and James scored 25 to go with eight assists and six…
..
