NBA regular season continues, with the Lakers playing away against the Grizzlies. Currently, the Lakers have four wins and three losses, ranking fifth in the West, while the Grizzlies have four wins and four losses, ranking tenth in the West. In this game, Davis and Hachimura are absent due to injuries, and young players Hayes and Knickert replace them in the starting lineup. Can James lead the team to victory on his own?
Entering the first quarter, the Grizzlies quickly take a 4-0 lead, with Russell scoring 4 points to keep up with the score. Morant and Zach Eddy continue to score, widening the gap to 6 points. James hits a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close the gap, but is immediately countered by the opponent, with Morant also scoring consecutively to further widen the gap. At this point, Reeves and Russell step up to score continuously to stay close. Little Pippen and Jaren Jackson score 5 points to extend the lead to 8 points. James steps up to hit a three-pointer, and Coloc also dunks under the basket, with the opponent scoring as well. The first quarter ends with the Lakers trailing 27-35, 8 points behind.
The game enters the second quarter, with James scoring first with a layup, followed by Reeves' jumper, reducing the gap to 3 points. The Grizzlies' Zach Eddy and Aldama step up to score continuously, extending the lead to 8 points. James scores 4 points to reduce the gap to 2 points. Morant completes a 2+1 and scores again with a riding shot, extending the lead to 7 points. He then receives a technical foul, with James making the technical free throw. The half ends with the Lakers still trailing 53-59, 6 points behind. In terms of scoring, James has already scored 22 points in the first half, with Reeves scoring 10 points and Russell 9 points. For the Grizzlies, Morant has 13 points, Jackson 11 points, and Aldama 9 points.
The game enters the third quarter, with James scoring and assisting to help the team reduce the gap to 2 points. Wells Morant hits three consecutive three-pointers, extending the lead to double digits. James responds with two three-pointers, and Russell also hits a three-pointer to reduce the gap to 4 points. This quarter becomes a three-point shootout, with the Grizzlies' Huff hitting another three three-pointers, followed by a dunk, extending the lead to 14 points. The Lakers' Reeves steps up to hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, but Lavinia hits an open three-pointer, and with Little Pippen's buzzer-beating three-pointer, the third quarter ends with the score at 95-81, the Lakers trailing by 14 points.
The game enters the fourth quarter, with Little Jaren Jackson starting off by completing a 2+1 and drawing a foul for two free throws. Kennard adds fuel to the fire with a three-pointer, extending the lead to 21 points. James scores under the basket to help the Lakers stop the bleeding, and hits another three-pointer from the left corner, reducing the gap to 15 points. The Grizzlies continue to attack the Lakers' interior, drawing fouls and quickly extending the lead to over 20 points. Rivers scores continuously to help the Lakers reduce the gap to within 20 points, but Wells hits another unreasonable three-pointer, widening the gap back to 20 points. The game enters garbage time early, and the Lakers ultimately lose 114-131 on the road to the Grizzlies, suffering their second consecutive defeat.
Scoring situation: For the Grizzlies, Little Jaren Jackson scores 20 points, Morant 20 points, Wells 20 points, Little Pippen 14 points, Lavinia 13 points and 8 assists, Huff 11 points, and Aldama 11 points and 12 rebounds. For the Lakers, James scores 39 points with 7 rebounds and 6 assists, Reeves 19 points, Reddish 15 points, Russell 12 points, with no other player scoring in double figures!