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Lakers stars Luka Doncic, left, and LeBron James greet each other on the court in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Coming off a heartbreaking loss at the buzzer in Chicago, the Lakers followed their three-headed monster to a bounce-back win in the final of their four-game road trip.
Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic and LeBron James combined for 85 points and 25 assists, and the Lakers held on for a 134-127 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, with the trio having a hand in 120 of the team’s points.
Reaves led all scorers with 31 points on 8-of-16 shooting (5 for 8 from 3-point range) to go with eight assists and seven rebounds. Doncic had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and James finished with 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds – his best scoring output since returning from a two-week absence because of a strained left groin.
“We challenged all three of them when we get to their three-man actions to play with a little more force and a little more thrust and a little more creativity,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters of the message he delivered during a meeting with all three players on Saturday morning. “We played as well as we’ve played so far, offensively.”
Reaves said after the Bulls handed them their eighth loss in 12 games, Redick’s message Saturday emphasized working together to create the best opportunities for everyone.
“I think the meeting was just still trying to build that chemistry amongst the three of us to help the team be successful,” Reaves told reporters. “Tonight, it just showed that when we play the right way and trust one another, especially offensively, we can have open looks on almost every possession. … It was really just a conversation about how bad all of us want to win and win at a high level.”
The Lakers shot 50.6% from the field and 44.2% from behind the arc (19 for 43). Seven of those 3-pointers came from reserves Gabe Vincent (4 for 6) and Dorian Finney-Smith (3 for 7), and starter Rui Hachimura shot 3 for 5 from long range.
The Lakers led by as much as 20 points (50-30) in the first half, but they squandered the advantage in the second half on a night when neither team had much consistent success slowing the other.
Desmond Bane had 29 points to lead the Grizzlies, who were playing its first game since head coach Taylor Jenkins was fired on Friday. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 24 points and Ja Morant – playing for the first time in two weeks – finished with 22 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Reserve Scotty Pippen Jr. added 16 points, starter Zach Edey had a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double and starter Jaylen Wells had 11 points as Memphis – with assistant Tuomas Iisalo serving as interim head coach – lost for the fifth time in six games.
The Grizzlies cut their deficit to 11 by halftime, then opened the third quarter on a 16-4 run, with a Bane 3-pointer giving them their first lead of the night. A Reaves 3-pointer, a Doncic three-point play and a James layup gave the Lakers an 84-77 edge with 7:38 left in the third.
With just over a minute remaining in the third, Reaves’ fifth 3-pointer extended the Lakers’ advantage to eight points, but a Morant floater in the final seconds pulled the Grizzlies within three entering the fourth.
A Hachimura 3-pointer gave the Lakers a 107-105 edge, but Jackson, Morant and Edey each recorded baskets to give Memphis its largest lead at four with 8:35 remaining. James had a step-back jumper and a thunderous dunk to begin a 13-4 run that gave the Lakers a 120-115 advantage with 4:08 left. A Hachimura layup and a Reaves three-point play at the 1:21 mark – punctuated with an animated air punch – secured the Lakers’ victory.
“He was an incredible leader tonight,” Redick said of James. “And it was early. It was throughout the game. When we got down, I challenged the group in a timeout and he was as vocal as he’s been since he got back from injury. And that galvanized the group. … I think if he doesn’t say what he said in the timeout, we probably don’t win the game.”
“It was the first time I’ve heard him yell in a while,” Reaves said of James’ timeout message. “It was refreshing, to be honest. I loved it.”
Redick said he expected a strong effort given what his team has at stake in a tight Western Conference race over the next few weeks.
“I’m not surprised at how hard we played and how well we played tonight,” Redick told reporters. “I made sure the group knew that I believed still, and that the coaching staff believed and they were resolute in their belief in this team.”
With the win, the Lakers (45-29) remained in fourth place in the conference standings, taking a one-game lead over fifth-place Memphis (44-30) and earning what could prove to be an important tiebreaker by winning the season series.
The Lakers have eight regular-season games left, starting with a three-game homestand that begins Monday night against red-hot Houston (48-26).
“I think this was a big game for us in the sense of how we lost the other night. We hadn’t been playing great,” Reaves told reporters. “So, coming into this game, it was obviously high intensity. It’s hard, the last game on a road trip because you’re pretty excited to go home. But for that three hours or whatever the game is, you got to lock in and try to put your best foot forward and win.
“You’re not gonna play a perfect game. But late game, you had to be really locked in to what you were trying to do and I felt like we did that tonight. Obviously, giving up, like you said, 127, it’s not how many points we want to give up. So, obviously, we can do better. But when we needed it, we got stops.”
UP NEXT
The Lakers host second-place Houston on Monday at 7 p.m.
Originally Published: March 29, 2025 at 8:26 PM PDT