Late in the fourth quarter of an ugly game in Memphis, Tenn., LeBron James worked his way to the free-throw line before he turned his back on the rim and tightly spun over his right shoulder. Fading away with the game in doubt, James hit what was essentially the game-winner, putting one hand toward the court to let Grizzlies’ defender Dillon Brooks know that he was simply too small.
In a game defined by misses — and there were so many of them, including two James airballs — the Lakers’ star made the biggest shots in his team’s 94-92 win.