Lakers 107, Grizzlies 100
LOS ANGELES -- Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points and Kobe Bryant added 20 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers ended a four-game skid by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 107-100 Tuesday night at Staples Center.
Lakers forward Brandon Bass contributed 18 points and converted some clutch baskets in the last three minutes of the game, including a reverse dunk that gave Los Angeles a 105-98 edge with 1:02 remaining. That was too much for the Grizzlies, who missed an opportunity to pick up a 1/2 game in the Western Conference race for the No. 4 spot with the idle Los Angeles Clippers. Memphis now trails the Clippers by 3 1/2 games.
Julius Randle had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Los Angeles (15-55), which snapped a nine-game losing streak to Memphis. Lou Williams also scored 13 for the Lakers.
Tony Allen scored a game-high 27 points, hitting all 12 of his field-goal attempts for the Grizzlies (41-31), who were coming off a 103-97 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. Zach Randolph and Lance Stephenson had 16 points each for Memphis.
The short-handed Grizzlies played again without Mike Conley (left Achilles tendinitis), P.J. Hairston (left groin strain) and Brandan Wright (right MCL sprain). They already lost Marc Gasol (broken right foot) for the season.
Lakers rookie guard D'Angelo Russell sustained a bruised left shin in the second quarter and did not return for the second half. Russell finished with 11 points in 22 minutes.
The Lakers used a third-quarter surge for an 81-71 advantage after two foul shots by Williams with 1:35 remaining in the period. However, Memphis scored the final eight points of the quarter, cutting the deficit to 81-78 heading into the fourth.
Memphis took a 48-47 lead at the break. Neither team was sharp offensively. They combined for 24 first-half turnovers. The Lakers committed 14 of them.
Overall, the Lakers had 22 miscues (leading to 26 points) to 20 (leading 21 points) for the Grizzlies.
Metta World Peace, who managed just two points in 14 minutes, was ejected with 10:45 left in the contest after receiving a pair of technical fouls for arguing.
NOTES: NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league would revisit revamping the NBA draft lottery later this year, although he didn't provide specifics during a brief meeting with the media Tuesday at Staples Center. "So it's no secret that I had proposed a change in the lottery system a year and a half ago or so, and NBA owners, while a majority of the owners were in favor of making the change, a super majority were not," said Silver, who was in Los Angeles to formally announce the city would host the 2018 NBA All-Game. ... The Grizzlies are now 9-7 on the second end of back-to-backs. ... Lakers F Larry Nance Jr. sat out with a sore right knee. ... The Lakers play the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday. The Grizzlies visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.