Category: Basketball

This is what the Lakers imagined when they nearly broke the NBA with the trade that brought Luka Doncic to L.A.

Doncic and LeBron James scored 30 points apiece during the same game for just the third time as teammates Friday to help the Lakers hold off the Memphis Grizzlies 128-121 at Crypto.com Arena. Doncic led the way with 34 points, using 17-of-20 shooting from the free-throw line to maintain his NBA-leading scoring average, while James had 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting with nine rebounds and six assists.

The Lakers (21-11) needed 41-year-old James to be at his best. They squandered 13- and 15-point leads in the first and second quarters, respectively, but pieced together a timely 12-2 run in the fourth to improve their record in clutch games to 11-0.

“It felt like nearly every time we needed a bucket, he just kind of willed [it],” coach JJ Redick said of James, “whether it was driving the basketball, getting to the paint, getting to two feet, and he was just phenomenal tonight."

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Jake LaRavia stars in his role

James and Doncic led the way, but another player set the strongest tone for the night.

“Obviously it started with Jake,” James said.

Jake LaRavia scored 21 points, hitting three of his six three-point attempts, with nine rebounds, two steals and a block. In the starting lineup for the injured Rui Hachimura (calf), LaRavia delivered the necessary spark of energy on defense while also getting his shot going early to add a scoring punch.

“When I just talk about roles and the amount of hats that I can wear with this team, some nights, this is what happens,” LaRavia said. “Other nights I'm that defender, connector, crasher, like all that kind of stuff. So just continuing to play confidently throughout but also understanding what my role is going to be each game.”

The Lakers coveted the 6-foot-7, 24-year-old forward during the offseason for his versatility on defense and his three-point shooting on offense. He hit his first three-pointer on Friday. Then he nailed another midrange jumper 28 seconds later. He had 11 points in the first quarter and 18 in the first half.

Read more:'Who is No. 12?' Jake LaRavia let Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves know during Lakers win

LaRavia knew almost instantly it could finally be his night again.

LaRavia hadn’t scored 20 points in a game since Nov. 2 as his playing time has fluctuated with the Lakers’ ever-changing injury report. He is also shooting a career-low 30.9% from three after shooting 42.3% from long distance last season.

But LaRavia asked his teammates to maintain their confidence in him as he worked with assistant coach Beau Levesque to fine-tune his shot again.

“He says, ‘Control the input and the output is going to show for itself,’” LaRavia said of the coach. “So that's kind of what I'm doing right now. I'm just working on my shot, starting with the basics again, and just kind of going from there. And, you know, hopefully I can find my rhythm again. And tonight was just the start.”

Friday was LaRavia’s first game with three three-pointers since Oct. 29 when he made five of six against the Timberwolves, prompting the viral moment of fans shouting "Who is No. 12?"

Jaxson Hayes gets the closing nod

Last year, Jaxson Hayes watched the Lakers’ season end from the bench after he fell out of the playoff rotation in the first round against Minnesota. The 7-foot center started the first four playoff games, but never played more than 10 minutes in each as his role dwindled to not playing at all in the decisive Game 5.

After the benching, Hayes said he had something to prove this season.

He made a loud statement Tuesday, earning the closing minutes over starter Deandre Ayton. Hayes played 11 minutes and nine seconds of the tight fourth quarter and finished with13 points on five-of-six shooting.

Ayton had four points and six rebounds, but the Lakers were outscored by one during his 24 minutes and 49 seconds compared with a plus-eight scoring margin during Hayes' 23 minutes and 11 seconds.

"He was playing better,” Redick said of the decision to play Hayes at the end of the game.

Read more:Luka Doncic and LeBron James help fuel late Lakers surge in win over Grizzlies

Hayes has 25 points on 10-of-11 shooting in the last two games since returning from an ankle injury. Defensively, Hayes added two steals, two rebounds and a block Friday. Hayes is shooting a career-best 78%, but he does not qualify for the league’s official leaderboard with just 64 makes on 82 attempts.

Doncic praised Hayes for his improvement in the pick-and-roll, noting how the center is finding “the right pocket” while Doncic is handling the ball.

“His ability to control the paint for us has been huge,” said guard Marcus Smart, who flirted with a triple-double with 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. “… Just his ability to go get the ball at the highest point when we throw it and then defensively to alter shots, whether he’s blocking them or just changing shots for us allows our defense to pick it up from our guards even more. To have that urgency that he brings, that’s huge.”

Dalton Knecht to get more playing time 

Diminished defense headlined the Lakers’ December struggles, but the offense was also out of sync during the Lakers’ 5-7 month. They were ranked 18th in offensive rating during December and were shooting 33.9% from three-point range, which ranked 25th in the league.

With several of the team’s top shooters currently injured, Redick is opening the door for second-year forward Dalton Knecht to work back into the rotation. Knecht will get "consistent" playing time over the next few weeks, Redick said, but he won't be solely judged on his shooting percentage while he tries to stick in the lineup.

"Play hard,” Redick said before the game of what Knecht needs to do to stay in the lineup. “That's been the biggest playing emphasis for him all season. He's not going to be judged on whether he makes or misses shots. That helps. When you go through a stretch and you feel like your team isn't playing hard, you got to play the guys that are consistently playing hard.”

Read more:Plaschke: Thank you, L.A. sports teams, for saving me during the worst year

Knecht was scoreless in 10 minutes and 47 seconds against the Grizzlies, missing both of his three-point attempts and notching one turnover.

Knecht is shooting 37.3% from three in his short NBA career, but has struggled to stick in the lineup because of defensive lapses. He grabbed Maxi Kleber’s minutes at the end of the Lakers' rotation after not playing in the first half of a game since Dec. 23 against Phoenix, a blowout loss.

The Lakers are digging into their bench while injuries pile up. Austin Reaves remains out at least three more weeks because of a calf strain. Forward Adou Thiero was diagnosed with a right MCL sprain on New Year’s Eve and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Guard Gabe Vincent is closing in on a return from a back injury that’s cost him seven games. The Lakers hope he can be available for at least one of their upcoming road games, Redick said, against New Orleans on Tuesday or in San Antonio on Wednesday.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

There have been good weeks and bad weeks for the Lakers this season.

Ahead of Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, they were trending downward after losing four of their last five games.

The Memphis game turned into a microcosm of that trend, with the Lakers building leads through effort and intensity only to see them crumble behind less-inspired play.

In the end, standout performances from Luka Doncic and LeBron James helped the Lakers surge late and hold on for a 128-121 win at Crypto.com Arena.

Read more:Lakers takeaways: Pistons dominate paint as Lakers close out a sub-.500 December

Doncic and James made sure the 15-point lead the Lakers held before it dissolved by the end of the third quarter wasn't completely achieved in vain. Doncic made 17 of 20 free throws in scoring 34 points with eight assists and six rebounds, and James had 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

They got help from Jake LaRavia, who scored 21 points on eight-for-12 shooting in addition to nine rebounds and stellar defense. Marcus Smart had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Jaxson Hayes scored 12 points off the bench.

The Lakers improved to an NBA-best 11-0 when within five or fewer points of their opponent heading into the final five minutes.

“I think we have a lot of people that closed the game, especially (me), when LeBron, he took over today,” Doncic said. “(Jarred Vanderbilt) hit a big shot. Jake hit a big shot. Jaxson had a big dunk. So, it's just everybody.”

It was a group effort that helped the Lakers seal the win in the fourth quarter. It also marked the first time since March that Doncic and James scored at least 30 points in the same game.

“It was just playing and playing in rhythm,” James said. “We’re trying to find ways that we can be productive. Obviously, Luka did a great job of getting to the free-throw line. ... He made a step-back three, a big-time shot there.

"Myself, just trying to sprinkle in a little bit here, a little bit there. Just trying to be consistent and be super efficient with my play. So we worked well off each other today and we led the group.”

The Lakers (21-11) went down 110-109 in the fourth quarter before going on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good.

The teams will meet again here Sunday night.

“We made some big-time plays offensively and we were sharing the ball, and guys made some big-time shots,” James said. “Vando’s three, Jake’s three on the other side of their bench at the end of the shot clock, Jax had a big-time dunk down the middle. So, those are key moments. And then defensively, we were able to get a couple shots, get a couple rebounds. That allowed us to kind of start pushing the lead up.”

Vincent update

Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) missed his seventh straight game, but Redick said the team hopes he can practice Saturday and that if he does, it will “be modified.”

Redick said Vincent will not play Sunday against the Grizzlies, but the hope is that he can play either at New Orleans on Tuesday or at San Antonio on Wednesday.

"We've got to get him exposure to live play, and with the travel day on Monday, that's gonna be tough," Redick said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.