Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant fuels 2nd-half rally, scores 41 to bury Lakers - ESPN

The la Lakers were apparently in manage, up by means of 13 late within the third quarter, before Ja Morant essentially outproduced them on his own down the stretch in the Memphis Grizzlies' 104-ninety nine domestic win on Wednesday.

Morant scored sixteen of his forty one features from the three-minute, 38-2d mark within the third throughout the closing buzzer, keying a 37-19 push by means of Memphis to conclude issues off.

"if you happen to shoot the ball in addition to he did tonight from the perimeter, along with his velocity and his athleticism, or not it's gonna be difficult to comprise a guy like that because he is doing the whole three degrees of scoring," spoke of LeBron James, whose 37 points, including eight three-tips that could tie a career excessive, went for naught. "You cannot -- there is nothing that you could do. He has you at his beck [and call]."

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    It changed into the second time Morant topped 40 features against the Lakers this season in the two instances he has performed them.

    He shot 13-for-27 from the container on Wednesday, together with 6-for-7 from three-element range, and became 9-for-12 from the free throw line, adding 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.

    As effective as his remaining flourish turned into, he changed into equally astounding past in the game when he scored sixteen elements in a row for the Grizzlies bridging the late 2d quarter and early third.

    "We began fouling, man, and he went to the free throw line and began seeing the ball go in, and he bought his rhythm that manner," Lakers look after Malik Monk pointed out. "And when a guy receives it going like that, there may be not lots which you could do."

    Memphis' comeback thwarted what could have been a 2-0 highway travel for the Lakers to get them lower back to .500 after a win on the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. as a substitute, L.A. (17-19) is calling on the No. eight spot within the Western convention standings as the season nears the midway factor, with Memphis (22-14) strengthening its grip on the No. 4 seed.

    "most likely, Ja, what an astonishing night by him, the tone he changed into surroundings all through the game," Grizzlies educate Taylor Jenkins observed. "When he got going, it just variety of fueled all and sundry else, and we type of simply broke loose there in that third quarter."

    Morant did conclude with six turnovers, together with three in the fourth quarter, nevertheless it turned into the Lakers who had been left lamenting their 18 turnovers, which ended in 21 aspects for the Grizzlies.

    James had five turnovers, marring his sixth straight 30-element effort, and Russell Westbrook also registered 5 turnovers, dimming the influence of his third straight triple-double (sixteen features, 12 assists, 10 rebounds).

    "We remember that we have lots of attackers, but the careless turnovers where literally you simply turn the ball over, there is no power or reason behind it, those are the ones that get us in concern," James observed.

    James' most glaring miscue of the nighttime came with 6.7 seconds left and the Lakers trailing by means of 3, when he threw the ball away to the Grizzlies, denying L.A. the chance to attempt a game-tying shot.

    "The one thing I suppose probably damage us essentially the most down the stretch turned into the turnovers and the an additional play, where [L.A. failed to execute] the easy play to make an extra circulate to the open man," talked about Lakers performing instruct David Fizdale, filling in whereas Frank Vogel is in the league's fitness and safety protocols.

    Westbrook, whose turnovers have been a common theme in Lakers losses this season, shifted the blame elsewhere. He stated the difference between L.A. closing out the Rockets within the fourth quarter on Tuesday and failing to cozy the win in opposition t the Grizzlies a night later got here right down to shot choice.

    The Lakers have been 12-for-21 from the field in the fourth in Houston, going 1-for-5 from 3. They shot 7-for-20 within the ultimate body in Memphis, including a 2-for-10 mark from 3 -- where James accounted for a 2 for 6 tally, with the leisure of the group going 0-for-four, together with a omit from Westbrook.

    "which you can watch the tale of the two and notice where our shots come from," Westbrook spoke of. "not an awful lot within the paint."

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