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Grizzlies 102, Lakers 90
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
LOS ANGELES — Point guard Mike Conley scored 24 points and handed out eight assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies used a second-half run to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 102-90 on Sunday at Staples Center.
Conley connected on nine of 12 shots from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers. Forward Marc Gasol scored 18 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Reserve forward Mike Miller chipped in 13 points and five rebounds.
The Grizzlies (48-32), who have won four of their last five, maintained their one-game lead over the idle Phoenix Suns, who play the Grizzlies Monday night in a clash for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff race. The Lakers (25-55) dropped their seventh in a row.
Los Angeles led 39-30 after forward Wes Johnson dunked an alley-oop pass from guard Jordan Farmar with 8:45 remaining in the second quarter. However, a 13-0 surge by the Grizzlies gave them a 43-39 advantage on a dunk by reserve forward Ed Davis four minutes later.
The Grizzlies took a 53-52 lead at the half.
After Lakers forward Jordan Hill tied the score at 61 with a putback at 7:29 left in the third, Memphis went on a 26-8 run for an 87-69 lead to end the quarter. The Grizzlies outscored Los Angeles 34-17 in the third with Conley and guard Courtney Lee combining for half of the output.
Memphis dictated points in the paint in the second half. The Grizzlies outscored the Lakers 26-12 on the inside in the second half after being tied at 22 points apiece at intermission. They also outrebounded Los Angeles 52-32, including a 16-5 edge on the offensive end.
Guard Jodie Meeks led the Lakers’ scoring with 20 points. Johnson added 15 points and 14 rebounds, while guard Nick Young came off the bench to score 14 points. Hill finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Memphis shot 47.7 percent (42-for-88), including 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from behind the 3-point arc, compared to 43.3 percent (35-for-80) for the Lakers, who converted 11 of 27 (40.7 percent) on treys.
NOTES: Former Kansas C and projected first-round pick Joel Embiid sat courtside. … The Lakers officially announced that C Pau Gasol is done for the season with vertigo. … Los Angeles was averaging 22 fastbreak points per game in its previous eight contests compared to 14 points for the rest of the season. … Memphis was 30-13 (fourth best in the NBA) entering the game since F Marc Gasol returned from a knee injury on Jan. 14. The Grizzlies ranked second in the league in points allowed at 92 points per game since Gasol came back. … The Lakers close the season with road games against the Utah Jazz on Monday and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. … The Grizzlies travel to Phoenix for a clash for a playoff berth with the Suns on Monday night before wrapping up the regular season at home Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.
