In a game that will be best remembered in NBA history for Fox Sports media personality Shannon Sharpe trying to battle the entire Grizzlies roster, the Los Angeles Lakers showed their own scrappy spirit, coming back from a double digit deficit in the fourth quarter. to snap Memphis’ 11-game winning streak with a 122-121 victory.
After Los Angeles battled and fought for the whole last frame to come back, Dennis Schröder had a clutch steal, slipping the ball off Desmond Bane and laying up on the break to put the Lakers in front for good. After some missed shots and free throws from the Grizzlies in the final seconds, the Lakers managed to escape with a totally unexpected and unlikely win.
“I wish I could have watched it as a fan instead of sweating it under my half-zip,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said with a laugh after the game, apparently not entirely realizing that a such a nervous finish was not exactly relaxing for the fans. , That is.
LeBron James finished with 23 points on 8-21 shooting, while Schröder added 19 points on just 11 shots to assist. Russell Westbrook (29 points, 10-18 shooting) once again provided a much-needed spark off the bench.
The Lakers edged the Grizzlies (33-41 to 26-40) from the free throw line featured prominently in the stretch, especially when the purple and gold turned Hack-a-Adams in the fourth quarter. Plus, holding Ja Morant to 22 points on 9-29 shooting qualifies as as big a feat as this team’s defense has managed over the course of the year.
LA is now 21-25 on the season, just one game in the loss column behind the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns for the 11th seed in the Western Conference. With Anthony Davis’ return seemingly imminent, stealing a victory from the jaws of defeat after a couple of tough losses last week could be important for the team’s psyche.
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