Gameday

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Darius Soriano

Against a very shorthanded but hard-playing and free-flowing Grizzlies team, the Lakers leaned on huge nights from both LeBron James and Antony Davis to bring them a critical 123-120 victory on Friday night. The victory ends the Lakers two-game losing streak and keeps them alive to move up in the standings with just a single regular season game left to go.

Considering the number of quality players the Grizzlies had out -- 13 players in total were unavailable, including the entirety of their main rotation to begin the season -- it would have been easy to write Memphis off and give them no chance of winning this game. But give credit to the young squad as they battled and fought for the full 48 minutes of this game, pushing the Lakers to the brink and giving them a real scare down the stretch.

Four Grizzlies scored 20-plus points on the evening, led by GG Jackson's 31 points on 12 of 23 shooting. Jackson was great from all over the court, but was superb from behind the arc, connecting on seven of his 13 attempts from deep. As a team, the Grizzlies hit 17 of their 39 three-pointers, with all their makes coming for their four high scorers of Jackson, Scotty Pippen Jr. (28 points, three made threes), Jake LaRavia (28 points, three made threes), and Jordan Goodwin (23 points, four made threes).

Beyond their hot shooting from beyond the arc, Memphis really made this game by winning the possession battle via offensive rebounding and forcing turnovers. Leveraging their young legs, athleticism, and some sloppy Lakers play, the Grizzlies grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in total for 20 second chance points, and also forced 19 Lakers turnovers, converting those into 26 points.

Despite these numbers, however, the Lakers were able to hold on behind their superstar duo of LeBron and AD coming up big.

LeBron struggled with his turnovers (eight on the evening), but was big in the game's most crucial moments to power his team to a win. Scoring 37 points -- including six in the final 44 seconds of the game -- to go along with nine rebounds and five assists, LeBron delivered multiple key baskets when his team needed him most.

Playing all by 1:39 of the 2nd half, LeBron knocked down threes, got to the rim for easy baskets, and even threw in a late clock runner to ensure his team got baskets on the game's biggest possessions. And then to seal the game, he darted into the open court to track down a loose ball and throw down a double-clutch reverse dunk that pushed the Lakers lead to five points with under 10 seconds remaining.

As for AD, he had another excellent two-way performance and made his presence felt on both ends after returning from his eye injury and the nausea that kept him out of the last game. Davis scored 36 points on 11 of 22 shooting, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out five assists, and blocked two shots, proving too much to handle in the paint for undersized Grizzlies.

Time after time, AD bullied his way into the paint and either got good shots at the rim or drew fouls to get to the foul line. All but two of Davis' made shots came in the paint and he went to the line for 17 attempts, knocking down 13. His physicality was also felt on the defensive side where he altered many more shots than his tally of two blocks would indicate, serving as a major deterrent in paint on countless possessions while playing the entire 2nd half and nearly 43 minutes overall.

Beyond LeBron and AD, the Lakers got double digit scoring nights from Rui Hachimura (14 points) and Austin Reaves (13 points) and some much-needed energy off the bench from Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jaxson Hayes. While none of these players offered huge numbers in terms of raw production, their defensive attentiveness and general commitment to matching the effort of the Grizzlies were key to the Lakers winning this game.

And, ultimately, getting this win is all that mattered. Though they were pushed harder than the names on the back of the jerseys might imply they would have, the Lakers remain alive in their pursuit of moving up in the standings. And they'll try to get there when they play their final game of the regular season on Sunday in New Orleans against the Pelicans.

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Lakers Survive, Get Critical Win Against Shorthanded Grizzlies

It is often said the NBA is a make or miss league, and unfortunately for the Lakers they saw the wrong side of that in their 109 to 90 loss to the Pacers on Friday night. The loss snaps the Lakers five-game winning streak and moves them to two and one halfway through their six-game road trip.

This game took on a totally different feeling than the matchup these teams played earlier in the week, with both teams bringing more determination defensively and neither team showing as much explosiveness in general on offense. This was especially true for the Lakers, whose 90 points was a season low output and was triggered by a 40.7% night shooting from the field, including a five for 30 effort from behind the arc (16.7%).

Part of this is surely attributable to the Lakers playing their third game in four nights while still feeling some of the aftereffects of their double-overtime game to begin the roadie. Many of their missed jumpers were short, and playing a team that races out and runs as much as Indy only impacted any potential fatigue further.

But the Pacers also deserve a huge amount of credit in this one, using a more aggressive, switching style on defense while showing great effort in helping and then recovering to get out to shooters and contest shots and disrupt the flow of the Lakers offense.

Despite a strong defensive night from Indy and some struggles from the outside by the Lakers as a team, they did have some good performances individually.

Anthony Davis came back from missing the team's game in Memphis to lead the Lakers with 24 points and 15 rebounds while gong nine of 17 from the field. Davis was clearly still laboring some with the knee issue that had him miss time, but he settled into the game nicely and had a positive impact on both sides of the ball.

LeBron James and Austin Reaves also played with good spirit and offered up good production with double-doubles. LeBron scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, hitting six of his 12 shots from the field while looking to attack the rim out of the post and via dribble drives. LeBron also dished out eight assists, really looking for his teammates and trying to set them up for good looks.

Austin, meanwhile, scored 16 points and showed great activity on the backboards with 13 rebounds while also dishing out six assists. Austin never did find his range from behind the arc (one of seven from deep), but was great attacking the paint and finding angles to the rim where he scored well with a variety of finishes with both hands.

Despite these efforts, though, the Pacers simply had too many answers on both sides of the ball while proving fresher and quicker for most of the game. Indy had six different players score in double figures, led by Pascal Siakam's 22 points and Tyrese Haliburton's 21 points. Both did more than score, too, with Siakam added 11 rebounds and six assists, while Haliburton added eight rebounds and eight assists.

And when combining this level of offensive production from the Pacers with their defensive effort -- which included forcing 16 Lakers turnovers -- and the Lakers inability to ever find a rhythm offensively, despite some open looks, Indy just had more than the Lakers could handle in this one.

So now the Lakers will try to regroup and come out ready to bounce back when they travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Sunday.

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Lakers at Pacers Game Highlights 03-29-24

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Lakers Offense Struggles in Loss to Pacers

Mike Trudell

With the eyes of the entire NBA on Las Vegas, LeBron James put on an absolute basketball master class, and had a lot of help from his friends in a 133-89 blowout victory over New Orleans, sending the Lakers to the final of the inaugural In-Season Tournament, for a chance at the NBA Cup with only Indiana left to conquer.“Incredible,” summarized Darvin Ham of LeBron. He’s the ultimate tone setter. He set an unbelievable tone from the start of the game, and his teammates followed suit.”LeBron’s 21st season has been entirely unprecedented to this point, and he somehow upped the ante on Thursday night in Las Vegas, needing only 22 minutes to score 30 points on 9 of 12 FG’s (4 of 4 3’s, 8 of 8 FT’s) with eight assists for a +36, the only player to hit those marks in so few minutes.

“Just trying to lead by example,” said LeBron, rather humbly after that kind of performance. “Be unselfish. Make the right plays offensively and defensively and live with the results.”The Lakers held a 67-54 lead after a strong first half, but it was the third quarter in which they entered into Death Mode, burying the Pelicans with a 43-17 margin. Anchored by Anthony Davis, the defense swarmed, limiting NOP to 7 for 24 shooting (29.2%) and forcing three turnovers, while converting 13 of 20 FG’s (65%) on the other end, including four triples, plus 13 of 16 free throws.“We have a lot of long, athletic wings and players where we can switch randomly, we can switch deliberately,” explained Darvin Ham. “AD is a huge, huge factor in backing up and anchoring the back line of our defense, and it allows everybody to just play free and be aggressive.” Davis, who finished with 16 points, 15 boards, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals, led the Lakers with 31 minutes played, and was able to sit alongside LeBron and enjoy the fourth quarter thinking ahead to Saturday’s matchup with Indiana, such was the margin.

The tide of the game turned in the second quarter, when LeBron drilled back-to-back-to-back triples on the first three Lakers possessions. He added a layup moments later to put the Lakers up seven. LeBron checked out at the 5:49 mark of the period, as L.A. held a 50-41 lead.New Orleans rallied in his absence, trimming seven points off that margin, to make it 53-50 when LeBron returned at the 3:08 mark. But with James scoring and assisting, L.A. closed the half on a 14-4 run to take a 67-54 edge into the break. LeBron led all scorers with 21 points – 18 coming in the 2nd Q – and was aided by Taurean Prince, who hit three of his four first half triples in the quarter.Prince finished with five triples, matching his season high, and Austin Reaves added 17 points, seven assists and five boards in his 23 minutes off the bench. D’Angelo Russell complimented those numbers with 14 points on 6 of 10 shooting in his 22 minutes. The fourth quarter saw several young Lakers get minutes, with rookies Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis getting eight minutes of action apiece, flanked by Christian Wood, Max Christie and Rui Hachimura. That unit also managed to limit New Orleans offensively, with a 23-18 margin contributing towards the 44-point victory.“When we lock in and everybody is pulling the rope in the same direction and everybody is focused on the objectives of the game plan, we’re damn near unstoppable,” summarized Ham. “It’s a beautiful thing to see this early. The intensity that this tournament brings reveals that, because it’s not just a regular season game. The stakes are way higher. It’s great prep for what’s to come four, five months later.”Now it’s on to the final, with Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers awaiting.

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Legendary LeBron Performance Leads LAL to the IST Final

The Lakers open their 2022-23 preseason with a Monday evening contest against Sacramento at Crypto.com Arena. The game tips at 7:30 p.m. Pacific on Spectrum SportsNet.

Below are three things to know about the matchup:

STARTING LINEUPAs a disclaimer, the starting lineup this season may not matter as much as it may seem. If LeBron James and Anthony Davis are on the floor, they get so much done on both ends that the other three spots can be filled for various needs. Indeed, when the Lakers won the title in 2019-20, several role players shifted in and out of the starting lineup, and the closing lineup as well, with the two All-Stars the lone constants.

But there’s still value in determining the best 5-man groupings throughout the games. To start things out in the preseason, Darvin Ham has hinted at a group that includes LeBron and AD, of course, plus Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn and Damian Jones.

“It reminds me of my first year here with JaVale in that lineup, having that lob threat and the rest of the guys playing on the perimeter,” said Davis.

Patrick Beverley and Austin Reaves would also be good fits next to James and Davis; we’ll see how and when Ham deploys those two guards, sure to be in the rotation, and how his lineups evolve from quarter to quarter, and game to game.

INJURY UPDATEOne of the most troubling statistics from the 2021-22 Lakers season had to do with injuries or illness: L.A. missed a collective 246 games last year.

Heading into preseason Game 1, Los Angeles will be without three players: Lonnie Walker IV (left ankle sprain); Troy Brown Jr. (low back soreness); and Dennis Schroder (not yet with team due to Visa issues).

Davis is also on the injury report with low back tightness, but he’s listed as “probable” to play.

PLAN FOR LEBRONLeBron will become the 10th player in NBA history to play in a 20th preseason, and he’s already said that he plans to play more than he did last season (three games). That could mean he’ll play in four of L.A.’s six games, or that he’ll simply play more total minutes than he did last season (he played in the first half only in one of his three in 2021-22).

There’s an inevitable balance between saving LeBron’s legs as much as possible, but also treating the preseason in a more serious manner than in year’s past, in order to try and fast track the team’s chemistry and cohesion ahead of the coming-soon regular season opener, on Oct. 18th against the defending champion Warriors.

L.A.’s opponent for this preseason opener, Sacramento, will feature Malik Monk coming off a very productive individual season for the Lakers, though LeBron will surely be more focused on his current team’s situation after exchanging pleasantries with Monk.

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Three Things to Know: Lakers vs Kings Preseason Opener 10-3-22

lalswong

Get all the stories, highlights, and stats from tonight’s game on the Game Tracker.

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Game Tracker: Lakers vs. Heat | W(113-110)

Joey Ramirez

Here is what you need to know before the Lakers finish their road trip against the Portland Trail Blazers.

1) The road has been paved purple and gold
The Lakers are coming off arguably their most impressive stretch of the season, having taken care of Denver and Utah on back-to-back nights.

In. case beating the West’s No. 2 and No. 6 teams in a span of 24 hours wasn’t impressive enough, the Lakers also did so while several players were fighting the flu in games played at the NBA’s highest altitude. And these were convincing victories, as the Lakers beat their hosts by a combined 34 points and kept both under 100 points.

The Lakers are now 10-0 away from STAPLES Center — a streak not seen since the turn of the millennium.

2) Rondo is in his groove
Rajon Rondo was instrumental to the Lakers’ victory in Denver, dropping 14 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in a true do-it-all performance.

Rondo — who moved up to 17th on the NBA’s all-time assists leaderboard during that game — has been dropping dimes with regularity this season. In fact, only Charlotte’s Devonte’ Graham (7.6) is averaging more assists off the bench than Rondo (6.1).

But that kind of production is somewhat expected of a passer of Rondo’s caliber. What’s been shockingly impressive is his 3-point shooting. Before the season, Frank Vogel promised that Rondo — a career 32.1% from deep — had improved his shooting, and now he’s hitting a ridiculous 50.0% of his 3s.

3) Melo’s injected life into Portland
Who would’ve thought that “reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Carmelo Anthony” would be a phrase this season? After missing more than a year of NBA basketball, Melo has proven that he’s still got it.

Last week, he averaged 22.3 points and 7.7 rebounds to start a turnaround for a Blazers squad that started the season 5-12. Now, he’ll look to keep it going against one of his best friends, LeBron James. Bron holds the 19-14 lead in their all-time head-to-head matchups and has won 12 of their last 15.

But Carmelo’s squad is looking mighty dangerous right now. One-man artillery Damian Lillard ranks among the NBA’s top 10 in scoring, assists, made free throws and made 3s. C.J. McCollum is a jumper machine from both mid-range and 3-point distance.

Injury Report
Lakers: Avery Bradley (hairline fracture, right leg) and DeMarcus Cousins (rehabilitation, right knee) are out. Talen Horton-Tucker, Zach Norvell Jr. and Kostas Antetokounmpo are on G League assignment.

Blazers: Gary Trent Jr. (right hamstring strain) is questionable. Jusuf Nurkic (left leg fracture) and Zach Collins (left shoulder dislocation) are out.

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet locally, ESPN nationally
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 Tu Liga
Unis: Purple Statement
Location: Moda Center — Portland, Oregon

Gameday

Lakers Survive, Get Critical Win Against Shorthanded Grizzlies

Lakers Offense Struggles in Loss to Pacers

Legendary LeBron Performance Leads LAL to the IST Final

Three Things to Know: Lakers vs Kings Preseason Opener 10-3-22

Game Tracker: Lakers vs. Heat | W(113-110)

Lakers at Trail Blazers: 3 Things to Know (12/6/19)

Lakers Postgame: LeBron James (10/22/19)

Photos: Lakers at Clippers (10/22/19)