Lakers Defeat Short Handed Grizzlies at Home
Your Los Angeles Lakers pulled out a win tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies, defeating them 120-114.
LA trailed the majority of the contest, despite Memphis being extremely short-handed. They even fell behind by 16 points at one point. The team lacked effort and was outrebounded consistently.
The Grizzlies killed them in fast-break points, and the Lakers made it a point to get back on defense quicker as the game progressed. It was a concerning first half of basketball as it appeared the team was lacking juice and cohesiveness. Luckily, they were able to turn that around.
The team bounced back in the second half and took control down the fourth quarter stretch, led by James and Doncic.
Lebron had 11 points in the fourth and a couple of crucial assists, while Luka drained two threes in the final minutes, finishing with 36 points. The team needs this duo to keep bringing the heat with their scoring punch out in Austin Reaves.
The bench hasn’t been a highlight of this team, so their leaders will need to continue carrying the offense. Thankfully, they received some help tonight with a fill-in starter.
That fill-in starter was Jake LaRavia, and he was a big key to their win tonight. After a big game on Friday night, LaRavia stepped up again, adding 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
THE LAKERS BEAT THE GRIZZLIES FOR THE 2ND TIME IN 3 DAYS 😈 pic.twitter.com/cImeQ9jDu5
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 5, 2026
THE LAKERS BEAT THE GRIZZLIES FOR THE 2ND TIME IN 3 DAYS 😈 pic.twitter.com/cImeQ9jDu5
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 5, 2026
He played hard and attacked the glass. When he is aggressive and uses his size to score, he adds a key element to this team.
The Lakers haven’t been consistent lately, and a large part of that could be due to their continued injuries. However, picking up two wins to start the new year is exactly what this team needs to get on track. They are back at the 3 seed in the West and should get Hachimura and Reaves back from injury soon.
It will be intriguing to see how the Lakers perform this month and if Rob Pelinka decides to make a change to the roster before the February 5 trade deadline.
The Lakers head to New Orleans next on Tuesday night to take on the Pelicans (8-29).
