LOS ANGELES, March 8 (US): Anthony Davis scored 30 points and 22 rebounds, Dennis Schroeder added 17 points and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers moved into ninth place in the Western Conference with a 112-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Tuesday night.
Rui Hachimura and Austin Reeves scored 17 points each in their sixth win in eight games for the Lakers, who have rallied since the trade deadline despite the injury absences of LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell, the Associated Press reports.
Davis had an outstanding performance against the Grizzlies, hitting 11 of his 17 shots and repeatedly making big plays down the stretch while wearing a bandage on his nose from the halftime cut.
Jaren Jackson scored 26 points and Teus Jones 16 for the Grizzlies, who fell to 0-2 without Ja Morant for their third straight loss overall.
Morant has missed his second straight game since the Memphis star apparently took a gun at a road strip club and then flaunted it on social media last weekend.
The two-time All-Star and Grizzlies leading scorer is the target of two NBA investigations and an investigation by the Denver police.
Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins did not say when Morant would return from what was initially announced as a two-game absence.
“We are in contact with him every day,” Jenkins said.
“He’s still a big part of what we do. Like I said the other day, we love him. We want the best for him. We support him. … It’s a healing process, so if everyone expects something to change overnight, we have to (do) our due diligence.” And to be respectful about that. We’re talking about Ja being in a better place personally and also professionally, so scheduling that is disrespectful, in my opinion.”
Despite undergoing a pregame workout, Russell missed his sixth consecutive game with the Lakers due to an ankle injury. The base guard sat next to James, who missed at least two weeks with a right foot injury that cost him five games.
But the Lakers made it a 17-4 run down the half with Davis edging out on both ends of the field. Troy Brown Jr., who scored 13 points, made the clutch 3-pointer with 1:12 to play before Davis deftly fouled in the final minute to clinch it.
Dillon Brooks scored 13 points for Memphis, while Desmond Payne scored seven points on 3-for-14 shooting in his lowest performance of the season.
FELICIDADES PAU
The Lakers retired Pau Gasol’s No. 16 jersey at the end of the first half, honoring the dominant 7-foot-tall Spaniard who reached the NBA Finals and won two titles after joining Los Angeles on a trade with Memphis in 2008. Gasol spent his first seven seasons with the grizzlies. Tonight, he chose to retire his jersey because both of his team could participate.
Tip-ins
Grizzlies: Brooks is back from a one-game suspension for accumulating technical fouls, and he’ll receive more suspensions if he gets more T’s. “He knows he has to do better,” Jenkins said. “He’s got to be that pitch, (but) he’s got to protect his teammates and he’s got to protect himself. He’s got to be on such a fine line that he can’t go over too much, because every other player is a comment.” … Brandon Clarke missed his second consecutive game since rupturing his left Achilles tendon. … Bane, who averages 21.5 points per game, missed his first nine shots and didn’t score until the final seconds of the third quarter.
Lakers: Mo Bamba sprained his left ankle, leaving Los Angeles with Davis as its only player over 6-foot-9. … Davis scored 13 points in a dominant first quarter, but spent several minutes in the locker room during the second half after his nose was slashed and bloody on an error by David Roddy.
the next
Grizzlies: Golden State hosts Thursday night.
Lakers: Toronto hosts Friday night.