The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 116-110 tonight while playing at home. It was a strange game tonight, as both teams turned the ball over and gave away fouls quite often. But the Lakers taking an early lead allowed them to see out the game, despite the Grizzlies making things nervy in the final moments, cutting the Lakers’ 23-point lead to under 10 points.
Anthony Davis had yet another brilliant game, putting up 40 points (15-22 FG), 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. LeBron James, who made his return tonight, had a decent outing, with 18 points (7-17 FG), eight rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and two blocks. Austin Reaves stepped up tonight as the third-best player on the team, with 19 points, two rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.
The Grizzlies were led by Jaren Jackson Jr., who put up 25 points (9-13 FG), five rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Ja Morant had a rough outing, with 20 points (6-21 FG), six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Zach Edey, who also made his return tonight, came off the bench and delivered 13 points (6-8 FG), 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block.
Despite the win, and even taking a strong lead early in the game, the Lakers never really looked comfortable in the game. They turned the ball over a lot (21 turnovers) and shot poorly from the three-point line (29.4%). But the Grizzlies were just as bad (20 turnovers, 32.1% 3-PT), and the Lakers rode the wave of Davis’ great performance all the way to a win.
With all of that said, here are three reasons why the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies.
Anthony Davis Leads By Example
Anthony Davis was by far the best player on the court tonight. The Lakers’ big man showed why he is still one of the best players in the world, with a monstrous 40-point performance. One of his biggest strengths tonight was his ability to reach the free-throw line.
Davis had 12 free-throw attempts, and he converted nine of them. This helped the Lakers continuously sustain some semblance of their lead throughout the second half. This performance is the latest in a long list of strong outings from The Brow.
This season, Anthony Davis has 13 30-point games this season, the second-most by any player this season behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has 16. This just goes to show not only how good Anthony Davis has been, but also how little the Lakers have taken advantage of this run. They have lost three of the 13 games in which Davis has dropped 30+ points.
Strong Rim Protection From The Lakers
The Lakers’ defense was definitely erratic tonight. They conceded a lot of fouls during the game. But one aspect of their defense that was really strong tonight was their rim protection. The Lakers registered seven blocks tonight, compared to just the three from the Grizzlies.
Considering the size advantage many of the Grizzlies’ players have over the Lakes, the fact that the latter were able to dominate them in terms of rim protection is certainly impressive. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were the generals when it came to rim protection tonight.
The Lakers will need to aim for even better nights protecting the rim going forward, as it gives them the best chance to succeed. Perhaps adding some size through a trade could help them achieve that.
Lakers Force Inefficient Shooting From Grizzlies
The Lakers were able to force the Grizzlies into taking some bad shots tonight. As a result, the Grizzlies weren’t able to take the lead at any point. Tonight, the Grizzlies shot 39-87 from the field, with a 39.2% conversion rate. Their shooting from the three-point line, as mentioned above, was not good either, as they made just 9-28 three-pointers on the night.
While the Lakers were actually worse from the three-point line tonight (10-34 3-PT), they were far better from the field. They went 39-82 from the field, making 47.6% from the field. It helped the Lakers massively, as they were able to capitalize on the Grizzlies’ poor shooting night.
Going forward, JJ Redick would like to focus on this aspect of their defense. Forcing opposing players into bad shots, and also crowding the paint to not allow them to get high-percentage looks might be the way to go for them going forward.
Now, the Lakers will look to carry forward the momentum from tonight’s game into their next game on Thursday night at 10 PM EST, as they take on the Sacramento Kings at the Golden1 Center. A win against a strong team in their own division could help them get the ball rolling and turn things around.
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