Both teams flew into Tennessee in the early morning hours, having played a game the night before. But the difference was momentum.
The Lakers had surrendered a 12-point, fourth-quarter lead to lose in San Antonio, while the Grizzlies pulled out a key win in New Orleans. But that was yesterday.
L.A. was the clear aggressor in Memphis’ house, dominating on offense, defense and rebounding en route to a 111-88 victory.
“They didn’t beat themselves,” LeBron James said. “We came here to win a ball game. We got stops, shared the ball and rebounded.”
With the win, the Lakers (16-10) leapt over the Grizzlies (15-10) for fifth place in the Western Conference about a quarter of the way through the season.