Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, and LeBron James powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a 134-127 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. The victory kept Los Angeles (45-29) in fourth place in the Western Conference while Memphis (44-30) remained in fifth.
Reaves delivered one of his best performances of the season, finishing with 31 points and eight assists. Doncic added 29 points and nine assists, while James contributed 25 points as the Lakers built an early 20-point lead.
Despite the Lakers’ strong start, Memphis made it a competitive game in the fourth quarter. Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 29 points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24. Ja Morant recorded 22 points and 10 assists in his return from injury.
The game was Memphis’ first under interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, who took over after the team fired Taylor Jenkins on Friday. Jenkins, the winningest coach in franchise history, was dismissed with just nine games remaining in the regular season.
Los Angeles started hot, making 12 three-pointers in the first half while shooting 55% from the field. The Lakers’ lead grew to 20 points before Memphis cut it to 72-61 at halftime.
The Grizzlies fought back in the third quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 38-30 to make it a one-possession game heading into the final period. The teams traded leads in the fourth until Dončić returned with about eight minutes left.
Doncic immediately made an impact, scoring four straight points before Dorian Finney-Smith hit a three-pointer to put the Lakers back in control. Los Angeles never trailed again, holding off Memphis in the closing minutes.
The Lakers finished with 19 made three-pointers, one shy of their season-high. Reaves shot 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, while Doncic and Gabe Vincent each knocked down multiple threes.
With the win, the Lakers improved to 5-6 in their last 11 games, bouncing back from a last-second loss to Chicago on Thursday. Memphis, meanwhile, fell to 1-5 in its last six, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the team after Jenkins’ firing.
This was the final regular-season matchup between the two teams, with the Lakers winning the season series 3-1. Both teams remain in the fight for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
