Lakers Fall Short To Grizzlies, 109-106
- Updated: January 2, 2015
The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Memphis Grizzlies on their first game of 2015, 109-106. Kobe Bryant flirted with another triple double but it was not enough to secure a win.
The Los Angeles Lakers looked to start 2015 on a strong note as they face the gritty Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers had lost six out of eight games against the Grizzlies.
Both teams started the game slow but Ed Davis, who suffered a broken nose in the win against the Nuggets on Tuesday night, rose to the occasion and got going early with nine points and six rebounds, giving the Lakers a 25-22 advantage after one quarter. In the second quarter, Jeremy Lin ignited the Lakers second unit with 13 points. Kobe Bryant looked to facilitate once again and dished out five assists in the first half. The Lakers shot 54% from the field, to the Grizzlies’ 39%, and ended the first half with a 52-47 lead.
Out of the locker room, the Lakers still kept their lead, powered by Kobe Bryant’s back-to-back jumpers. A quick 9-1 surge by the Grizzlies gave them a one-point advantage. After trading baskets, the Lakers trailed the Grizzlies 80-77 after three quarters.
In the last quarter of the game, Beno Udrih powered the Grizzlies second unit with his 16 points to keep the Lakers at bay. With 4 minutes left in the game, Nick Young made back-to-back baskets to cut the lead to within one, 97-96; until Mike Conley silenced the crowd with a three-pointer to push the lead back to four. Jordan Hill joined Carlos Boozer on the bench, both fouling out of the game. Ed Davis followed with two big baskets to cut the lead to two, 102-100 with 2:22 left in the game. Tayshaun Prince gave the Grizzlies a four point lead with 42.2 left and Kobe Bryant countered with a three-pointer to pull within one. Mike Conley made one out of two free throws to give the Grizzlies a 107-105 lead with 11.7 left.
Out of the timeout, Kobe Bryant dished an interior pass to Ed Davis but was fouled and headed to the free throw line, where he is shooting 49% on the season. Davis missed the second free throw, which could have tied the game at 107. The Lakers needed a three-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in the game, Kobe Bryant took the last shot but missed and the Lakers fell to the Grizzlies, 109-106.
The Lakers shot 53% from the field but only 32% from beyond the arc, scoring 74 points in the paint. Kobe Bryant flirted with another triple double, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Ed Davis posted 20 points and eight rebounds. Off the bench, Jeremy Lin put up 20 points and five assists, Nick Young with 14 points and Carlos Boozer with 14 points and four rebounds, before fouling out.
The Grizzlies were without Zach Randolph as he recovers from a sore right knee. This was not a problem as Marc Gasol continued to make his run for the MVP race, posting 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Mike Conley finished with 18 points and nine assists.
The Lakers have now lost 5 straight games against the Grizzlies, including three straight this season. They fall to 10-23 on the season, 4-12 at home.
The Lakers host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, 6:30 PM PST.
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