Los Angeles (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 128-121, as Luka Doncic scored 34 points and LeBron James added 31 in Friday night’s win.
As reported by Reuters, the Los Angeles Lakers overcame the Memphis Grizzlies 128-121 on Friday, January 2, with Luka Doncic scoring 34 points and providing eight assists, while LeBron James added 31 points and nine rebounds.
How did the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-121?
The Los Angeles Lakers earned their second win in six games during a challenging stretch, powered by Jake LaRavia’s 21 points against his former team and Marcus Smart’s 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
Luka Doncic made 17 of 20 free throws and scored 15 points in the third quarter, but hit only one of seven three-point shots.
The Memphis Grizzlies fell for the third back-to-back game, despite Jaren Jackson Jr. posting 25 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope adding 20, marking their first three-game losing streak since November.
In the first game of their two-match series against the Lakers, Ja Morant scored 16 points, and Santi Aldama added 15 as the Memphis Grizzlies took the opener. The second game is scheduled for Sunday.
Morant added 11 assists as he appeared in four straight games for the first time since a five-game run from November 3-11.
Luka Doncic scored four points in a 7-0 run, giving the Lakers a 116-110 lead with 4:13 left. After Memphis missed three shots on one possession, Jake LaRavia made a three-pointer, and LeBron James added a layup to push Los Angeles ahead 121-112 with 1:55 remaining.
Los Angeles completed strongly in the fourth quarter, posting a 32-25 edge over Memphis and shooting 57.1% in the period, while Memphis converted 47.9% of its shots.
The Lakers led by 15 points in the first half, but the Grizzlies went on an 18-0 run just before halftime to take a brief 58-55 lead. Los Angeles went into the break ahead 66-60, with LeBron James scoring 17 points and Jock Landale adding 11 for Memphis.
Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura were unavailable for the Lakers with calf injuries, while Memphis center Zach Edey missed his 10th consecutive game due to an ankle injury.
What were the player stats in the Lakers vs Grizzlies 128-121 game?
Los Angeles Lakers
- Luka Doncic: 34 points
- LeBron James: 31 points
- Jake LaRavia: 21 points
- Marcus Smart: 13 points
Memphis Grizzlies
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 25 points
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 20 points
- Ja Morant: 16 points
- Santi Aldama: 15 points
When will the Lakers and Grizzlies play their next game?
The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 6:30 PM PDT at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The Lakers and Grizzlies are playing the second game of their two-game series at the same arena. Following this contest, Los Angeles will face the New Orleans Pelicans on January 6, and Memphis will host the San Antonio Spurs on the same date.
How many points has Luka Doncic put up in Lakers matches?
In his 18 regular-season games against the Lakers, Luka Doncic has scored an average of 26.2 points per game.
Doncic’s move to the Lakers in February 2025 has boosted his scoring. He put up 28.2 points per game in the 2024-25 season and is averaging 33.6 points so far in 2025-26.
