Facing the league’s second-best scoring defense, the Lakers’ offense broke the game open from beyond the arc.
They dropped 111 points — nine more than Memphis’ opponent average — winning by 23 behind a barrage of 3-pointers.
The Lakers hit a season-high 16 triples on 41 attempts, making for a healthy 39.0 percent clip. They let it fly thanks to a blend of unselfish playmaking and smart play design.
Kyle Kuzma (20 points, nine rebounds, six assists) led the charge from deep, hitting four triples while assisting on three more.
Kuzma’s 3-point shot has been cold this year (31.5 percent), but he hit half of his attempts against Memphis thanks in part to a nice two-man game with Lonzo Ball, whose quick instincts led to a couple of give-and-go 3s.
While Kuzma’s 3-point percentage has been surprisingly low this season, he has already proven himself a capable stretch power forward after hitting the fourth-most triples in rookie history last year.
So it’s no surprise that he also splashed on two set plays, including one where he left 33-year-old Joakim Noah in his dust while receiving a massive screen from 7-foot-1 Tyson Chandler.
Kuzma has also been leaving his imprint as a playmaker recently, averaging 4.4 assists in his last five games.
“He’s done a real nice job of being aggressive these last two nights, but also passing when he should,” coach Luke Walton said of Kuzma. “That’s the biggest thing with him. He’s naturally a scorer, and he’s always looking to score.
“But the scoring lanes will open up for him more if he’s always a threat to pass when he opens up the defense.”
Kuzma had a big hand in setting up his fellow Lakers, including on a clever double screen for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who snuck into the corner while Kuzma distracted three defenders by coming off a Chandler pick.
Like Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope also hit four 3-pointers, as the Lakers shredded Memphis with a steady diet of KCP off double screens.
Josh Hart — L.A.’s season leader in 3-point percentage (39.0) — also sunk four triples, including a pair that played off the defense expecting KCP to shoot after screens set by Hart and JaVale McGee.
“It felt good pregame,” said Hart, who bounced back from an 0-for-5 3-point showing the night before. “So I said, ‘When I catch it, I’m gonna let it fly.’”
While fancy play design (five triples off double screens) can go a long way, sometimes it’s as simple as giving the ball to one of the game’s greatest playmakers.
LeBron James — the Lakers’ season leader in made treys (2.1 per game) — missed all three of his 3-point attempts in Memphis, but still played a key role in the shelling.
James (20 points, nine assists, eight rebounds) did most of his damage inside, scoring 16 points in the paint. And that interior pressure translated into outside opportunities for teammates.
LeBron assisted on four of L.A.’s triples, including when the Grizzlies blitzed him on a pick-and-roll, sending two defenders to stop James’ drive, leaving KCP wide open for 3.
“[Caldwell-Pope] is such a good defender at chasing people around and making energy plays,” Walton said. “When that is happening, his shot will fall for him more often. Tonight he was doing both of those and was a big part of why we had success here tonight.”
The Lakers have been elite at attacking inside this season, scoring the NBA’s second-most points in the paint (55.9).
But if L.A. — currently 19th in both 3-pointers (10.5) and 3-point percentage (34.6) — can continue to rise from beyond the arc, its offense can be up there with the league’s best.
Getting four triples from Kuzma, Hart and KCP (plus three from rookie Svi Mykhailiuk) is a good place to start.