MEMPHIS — After a gut-wrenching loss, especially one that ended with a 47-footer, a team has two options: let it linger or respond. With a tight Western Conference race and just eight games left, the Lakers had only one choice, and their big three played a major role in making it happen.
The star trio combined for 85 points in Los Angeles' road win in Memphis, taking control down the stretch behind a strong fourth-quarter performance to defeat the Grizzlies 134-127 on Saturday.
"I think the biggest thing about our group is the response to the other night when we lose on a half-court buzzer beater," head coach JJ Redick said. "I'm not surprised about how hard we played and how well we played tonight."
Austin Reaves led the team in scoring for the second straight game, finishing with a game-high 31 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in 37 minutes. Luka Dončić added 29 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while LeBron James contributed 25 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.
The trio scored 22 of the Lakers (45-29) 32 points in the fourth quarter to lift a needed win over a Grizzlies (44-30) team that sits one game behind them in the standings.
"We challenged all three of them... to play with a little more force, thrust, and creativity," Redick said. "We were able to get some great stuff in the fourth quarter off that and create advantages we envisioned creating when we put those three guys together."
The Grizzlies had a strong effort throughout the game in their first game since letting go of head coach Taylor Jenkins on Friday after six seasons with the team. This was the second time this season—the first being the Kings firing Mike Brown a day before their Dec. 28 matchup—the Lakers have faced a team just before letting go of their head coaches, winning both games.
The Lakers maintained control for most of the game, responding each time Memphis made a push and briefly took the lead behind Zach Edey (14 points, 11 rebounds), hurting them inside the paint on both ends at times—protecting Memphis' paint and hurting them on the offensive glass.
The defining moment came early in the fourth quarter when the Lakers found themselves down by four (111-107) with less than nine minutes remaining after surrendering a 38-30 third-quarter scoring discrepancy.
From that point, they outscored Memphis 27-16, stepping up defensively and making the Grizzlies work for every basket.
Their shots from 3-point range were their only Achilles heel in the fourth, going two-for-eight from deep. They executed on the other marks, going 14-of-15 from the foul line while hitting six of their nine attempts inside the arc in the final quarter.
The Lakers totaled 44.2% from deep on 19-of-43 and 50.6% shooting overall from the floor.
Their execution was fueled by relentless hustle from Reaves and Dorian Finney-Smith, who battled bigger opponents on defense and fought for loose balls that generated second-chance opportunities for L.A.
Another key factor in the road win was winning the bench battle. The Lakers outscored the NBA's highest-scoring bench (45.3 points per game), 34-27.
That effort was led by a first-half scoring burst from Gabe Vincent, who poured in 15 points on four-for-six shooting from deep within the first eight minutes—a total he maintained for the rest of the game.
Next Game
The Lakers finished 2-2 on their road trip, remaining fourth in the West. Their next three games are at home, beginning Monday against the red-hot Rockets, who have won 11 of their last 12.
They will continue to play West opponents the rest of the way in the schedule, with four of their last five games being on the road.