There is just no stopping the Memphis Grizzlies right now. The Grizzlies won for the sixth time in seven games on Thursday night, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, 108-95, at FedExForum. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane starred for the Grizzlies, who pulled away to record the upset win in the fourth quarter.
No Brooks, no problem for surging Grizzlies
Jackson led all scorers with 25 points on 9 of 18 shooting from the field. Bane was not far behind in the scoring tally, recording 23 points on 9 of 20 shooting from the floor. In a brilliant all-around performance, he also had three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block.
Tyus Jones and De'Anthony Melton each scored 12 points for the Grizzlies, who managed to pull off the win despite the absence of two of their leading scorers. Ja Morant suffered a sprained knee on November 26 and has been sidelined ever since. On top of that injury, Morant was also placed on the NBA's health and safety protocols due to COVID-19.
The same thing happened to shooting guard Dillon Brooks just hours before the game against the Lakers. With the Grizzlies at a personnel disadvantage, the Lakers got off to a strong start, building a 29-25 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Grizzlies picked up the pace in the second quarter that worked wonders for them. They outscored the Lakers 34-24 during that period to turn a four-point deficit into a 59-53 lead at the halftime break.
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LeBron records 100th career triple-double
The Grizzlies were outstanding on the defensive side of the ball, recording 13 steals in the opening half. Nine of those came in the second quarter alone, with Memphis setting a new franchise record for steals in a quarter.
The Grizzlies continued to pile on the pressure in the third quarter, with the Lakers committing many turnovers. They turned the ball over 19 times through the first three quarters, resulting in 22 points for the Grizzlies. That helped Memphis maintain an 85-78 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
The Lakers' offensive woes continued to hamper them in the fourth quarter as they managed to score just 17 points in the payoff period. That proved to be costly for the Lakers as their four-game winning streak against the Grizzlies came to a disappointing end.
LeBron James tried his best to extend that unbeaten run for LA, scoring 20 points, dishing out 11 assists, and grabbing 10 rebounds for his 100th career triple-double. He became just the fifth player in NBA history to reach that mark, joining Russell Westbrook (189), Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), and Jason Kidd (107) on that exclusive list.
Twenty-seven of James' triple-doubles have come during his stint with the Lakers. He now has the second-most triple-doubles in franchise history, eclipsing the mark set by Elgin Baylor.
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