The game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers ended with just an 8-point difference in the final score as the Grizz ran out 127-119 victors. However, this did not tell the story of the contest at all, considering that the game was a blowout by the end of the 3rd quarter.
The truly insane stat in the game came from the 4th quarter though, with the Grizzlies holding on to their lead despite failing to make a field goal in the last 7 minutes and 59 seconds of the game. Ja Morant made a 2-point shot with 7:59 left on the clock and the 4 points the Grizzlies managed in the rest of the game all came from free-throws.
The Lakers’ bench players went on a 21-1 run to end the game, the only benefit of which ended up being the fact that the final score looked a little more respectable than it normally would have. The only positive that the Lakers can take from this run is the shooting of Wayne Ellington and Austin Reaves, who both showed glimpses of what they might be able to provide later in the season.
LeBron James played an excellent game individually, scoring 35 points but it wasn’t enough to overcome the horrible Lakers starting unit, all of whom shot 25% or worse from the field. The fact that a 21-1 run could barely even make it a close game for the Lakers is a scathing indictment on the other role players, who need to take a long look at what went wrong on Sunday.
For their part, even though they took their foot off the gas voluntarily, the Memphis Grizzlies need to ensure that they don’t make a habit of giving up runs like this. The Lakers are now 6.5 games behind the Grizz in the standings and the gap between the two continues to widen, which will be a concern for LeBron James and his team.
