Grizzlies at Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers look to record their sixth victory in the past seven games when they resume play after the All-Star break with a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers sputtered through a 3-4 stretch to conclude January but have recovered their stride with their solid play this month.
Los Angeles owns the second-best record in the NBA and holds a four-game lead over the second-place Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference playoff race. "Guys come back from the All-Star break and teams pick it up and we have to do the same," Lakers power forward Anthony Davis told reporters. "We have more than enough to make sure we win basketball games." Memphis opened a four-game road swing with a 129-125 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday and now play back-to-back games in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Clippers. The setback was just the fifth in the past 20 games for the eighth-place Grizzlies, who saw their lead slip to 3 1/2 games over the Portland Trail Blazers for the final playoff spot in the West.
TIME: 10:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southeast, Spectrum SportsNet
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (28-27): Memphis had defensive issues against Sacramento while allowing 70 first-half points and trailed by 18 with 17 minutes remaining before rallying within one with 7.5 seconds left and ultimately falling short. "Obviously, we can be a whole lot better defensively," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said afterward. "To give ourselves a chance in a tough game like this against a team that was playing at a really high level, I'm proud of our guys and we got to regroup and get to the next game." Backup shooting guard De'Anthony Melton scored a career-best 24 points and star rookie point guard Ja Morant tallied 19 but had only two assists.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (41-12): Injured center DeMarcus Cousins has hinted that he expects to be recovered from the ACL tear in his left knee in time for the team's playoff run but club brass remain cautious in terms of it happening. "There is no date, and there's really no specifics on it in terms of, I'm not even sure where he's at with exactly what he's doing day to day," Los Angeles coach Frank Vogel told reporters on Thursday. "I just still know he's a long way away, but they've said they're not ruling out him returning. That's really all I can give you. I just know he's not close." Cousins, a four-time All-Star, suffered the injury in mid-August, five-plus weeks after signing with the Lakers.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Lakers are 2-0 against the Grizzlies this season, winning by 29 at home and by one on the road.
2. Los Angeles F LeBron James has 12 triple-doubles, six shy of his career best set in 2017-18 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
3. Memphis SG shooting guard Dillon Brooks is shooting 30.4 percent over the last seven games with a high outing of 15 points.