The Los Angeles Lakers opened the new year with a 123-114 loss to the Toronto Raptors on New Year’s Day. Tonight they hope to end their five-game home stand on a high note as the Memphis Grizzlies come into town. Check out our game recap:
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1st Quarter
The Lakers strolled out their usual starting lineup of D’Angelo Russell, Nick Young, Luol Deng, Julius Randle, and Timofey Mozgov while the Grizzlies countered with Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Chandler Parsons, JaMychal Green and Marc Gasol.
The Lakers started the game off quickly as Russell drilled two three-pointers and Randle made a layup. Memphis answered on a Gasol jumper and a Parsons layup. After a few minutes of sloppy play by both teams, Conley was left wide open and connected on a three-pointer to take a one-point lead midway through the quarter.
Coming out of a timeout, Randle found Young for a three-pointer to give the Lakers back the lead, but Vince Carter responded quickly with a three of his own for Memphis. As Jordan Clarkson drove his way toward the basket he was fouled and made one free-thrown and after a steal by Lou Williams on the ensuing possession for the Grizzlies, he dribbled down court and lobed a pass to Randle for a left-handed layup to give the Lakers a four-point lead with fewer than three minutes remaining.
A nice defensive stop by Mozgov on Zach Randolph lead to Clarkson go coast-to-coast for a floater that led to a Memphis timeout. After the timeout, the Grizzlies worked the ball to Gasol who used his size to back down Randle for a relatively easy basket to end a 7-0 Lakers run.
The Lakers lead at the of the first quarter, 22-20.
2nd Quarter
Troy Daniels and Clarkson traded three-point baskets to begin the quarter. Lou Williams got his first points on the night when he scored on a layup that he was fouled on. Randolph made a three-pointer of his own when Robinson played doff of him to give Memphis a two-point lead.
After Randle secured an offensive rebound for the Lakers he found Russell for his third thee-pointer of the game and on the next Lakers possession Young delivered his second three-pointer of the game that forced another Grizzlies timeout.
An airball by Aaron Harrison fell into the hands of Randolph who easily made the outback attempt, but Young responded with three straight three pointers to up his point total to 15 midway through the quarter.
As Carter missed a three-point attempt for the Grizzlies, Young found Russell for another three-pointer on the ensuing Lakers possession. Good ball movement by the Lakers led to Deng finding Mozgov for an easy slam dunk to give the Lakers a 48-39 lead.
Conley momentarily halted the momentum when he drove to the basket and scored on a difficult layup over Russell. After Carter dribbled his way to a layup, Randle drove down the lane and delivered a strong two-handed slam. As the quarter neared, Russell made a very nice pass to Randle for a layup.
The Lakers lead at halftime, 57-48.
3rd Quarter
A well executed screen and pop between Conley and Gasol led to the first basket of the quarter. Mozgov answered at the opposite end when he connected on a free throw line jumper. After an and-one by JaMychal Green, the Lakers responded with two consecutive three-pointers by Russell an Young.
Two straight midrange jumpers by Mozgov gave the Lakers a 12-point lead and forced the Grizzlies to call their first timeout of the half. A couple of Lakers turnovers led to a few easy baskets by Memphis to cut the lead to seven points midway through the quarter.
A screen and roll by Russell and Randle led to a layup, but Conley responded for the Grizzlies with a three-pointer. In what appeared to be a nice block by Gasol on Ingram, a foul was called and Ingram made one of two free throws. Another three-pointer by Clarkson and a Randle breakaway slam dunk gave them a 15-point lead with fewer than four minutes left in the quarter.
Coming out of a timeout, Vince Carter knocked down his second triple of the night, but was quickly answered by a Clarkson three-pointer, which he was fouled but missed the free throw. Williams connected on his first three-pointer, the Lakers 16th of the night, off an Ingram pass.
The Lakers lead at the end of the third quarter, 91-77.
4th Quarter
Tarik Black began the quarter by delivering a thunderous slam dunk off a nice pass from Clarkson. After Randolph made a couple of free throws for the Grizzlies, Ingram got the inbound pass and went coast-to-coast for an impressive layup.
A patented driving floater from the left side by Williams gave the Lakers an 18-point lead three minutes into the quarter. A nice fadeaway basket by Gasol over Mozgov proceeded after a timeout, giving him 22 points on the evening.
Two made free throws by William was responded by a long three-pointer by Troy Daniels for the Grizzlies. Randle got his 10th assist when Ingram knocked down a midrange jumper that gave Randle a triple-double.
The Lakers held a comfortable lead throughout the fourth quarter and ultimately played their way to a
116-102 victory.
As a team the Lakers finished with 17 made three-pointers and only 10 turnovers.