The third year of the Emirates NBA Cup kicked off on Halloween and there was a fair share of close games. For the Los Angeles Lakers, they hit the road for their first group play game against the Memphis Grizzlies and came away with an impressive 117-112 victory. This win improved the Lakers to 4-2 as they remain undefeated away from Crypto.com Arena.
In a surprising move, Luka Doncic flew to Memphis to join the team and ultimately made his return after missing the previous three games. After dropping 49 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 24, Doncic picked up right where he left off with another 40-point performance, leading the way with 44 points.
The Grizzlies blitzed L.A. in the second quarter, outscoring the Lakers 42-24, but JJ Redick’s team was able to bounce back with a big second half
Redick motivated his players to play with more force on both ends and he received that effort. The purple and gold would go on to outscore Memphis 62-43, thanks to Austin Reaves finding an offensive rhythm to accompany his backcourt mate in Doncic.
The Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 but had their struggles last season with a 2-2 record and a -24 point differential. They currently sit in first place in West Group B after this first week of games, putting themselves in the mix to advance to the knockout rounds.
Elsewhere in West Group B, the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans faced off at Intuit Dome in a surprisingly close game. New Orleans was 0-4 going to L.A. and coming off an embarrassing loss to the Denver Nuggets.
However, Jordan Poole’s 30 points and Zion Williamson’s 29 points put the Pelicans in a position to win. But Kawhi Leonard spoiled their potential first win of the season with a mid-range buzzer-beater to secure the close victory for the Clippers.
That win put them in second place due to the Lakers having won by five points compared to the Clippers only winning by two.
The final team in the group, the Dallas Mavericks, were not in action on Friday night as they traveled to Mexico City to take on the Detroit Pistons. Nov. 7 is their first Group Play game and they make their trip to Memphis.
Week 2 of the Emirates NBA Cup will begin on Friday and only features that Dallas and Grizzlies matchup for West Group B. The Lakers now return home but will go back out on the road for their second group play game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 14.
Eight teams advance to the knockout rounds with six winning teams in each group plus two wild cards. Starting off 1-0 is a step in the right direction to getting back to Las Vegas for the Lakers, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Emirates NBA Cup West Group B standings
1. Los Angeles Lakers: 1-0, +5 point differential
2. Los Angeles Clippers: 1-0, +2 point differential
3. New Orleans Pelicans: 0-1, -2 point differential
4. Memphis Grizzlies: 0-1, -5 point differential
5. Dallas Mavericks: 0-0
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