In a game that Fox Sports media personality Shannon Sharpe will remember most notably in NBA history as she attempted to battle the Grizzlies’ entire roster, the Los Angeles Lakers displayed a scrappy spirit of their own and returned from one double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to end Memphis’ 11-game winning streak with a 122-121 win.
After Los Angeles struggled for the entire last frame and struggled to come back, Dennis Schroeder came out with a clutch thief, wiped the ball away from Desmond Bane and hit a layup at the break to give the Lakers a definitive lead. After a few missed shots and Grizzlies free-throws in the closing seconds, the Lakers made their escape in a totally unexpected and unlikely win.
“I wish I could have watched it as a fan instead of sweating under my half-zip,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said after the game, laughing, apparently not entirely realizing that such a nervous ending wasn’t exactly relaxing for the fans was , either.
LeBron James finished the game with 23 points on 8-21 shooting while Schroeder added 19 points on just 11 shots to help him out a little. Russell Westbrook (29 points, 10:18 shooting) again provided the much-needed spark off the bench.
Passing the Grizzlies (33-41 vs. 26-40) from the free throw line, the Lakers made their mark on the stretch, especially when the purple and gold became hack-a-adams in the fourth quarter. Additionally, Ja Morant’s 22 points on 9-29 shooting should qualify as an equally huge feat this team’s defense has pulled off throughout the year.
LA is now 21-25 in the season, just one game in the losing column behind the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns for the 11th seed in the Western Conference. With Anthony Davis’ return seemingly imminent, stealing a win from the jaws of defeat after some tough losses over the last week could be of great importance to the team’s psyche.