LeBron James' Lakers Thrill NBA Twitter With 'Best Win' of Season vs. Grizzlies
Behind another strong effort from LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers secured what was perhaps a season-defining win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
L.A. trailed by four at halftime and eight after three quarters, but the team stormed back in the final frame to secure a 122-121 victory at home.
Guard Dennis Schröder was the hero for the Lakers, as he made a pair of free throws with 13 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one before stealing the ball from Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane and making the winning basket and free throw with 7.1 seconds left:
LeBron finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a game-best plus-nine rating, while Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 29 points off the bench.
The win improved L.A.'s record to 21-25 and got it out of a funk that saw it lose four of its previous five games. It was also a win over the No. 2 team in the Western Conference, prompting Lakers fans and observers to herald it as a massive, potentially trajectory-changing victory:
The Lakers still have a ton of work to do to get themselves into championship contention, but Friday's win could serve as the ultimate springboard.
Los Angeles is 13th in the Western Conference, but since things are so bunched up, that leaves it just one game out of 10th, which is the final postseason play-in spot. The Lakers are also only two games out of sixth, which is the last non-play-in position.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Anthony Davis could return from his foot injury as early as next week, which would be a massive addition for the Lakers.
With James and Westbrook both playing great basketball and the return of a superstar big man on the horizon, the Lakers suddenly look like one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA.
Also, general manager Rob Pelinka has resisted making any trades thus far, but if the Lakers can hang in there until the Feb. 9 deadline, there may be some reinforcements on the way as well.
The Lakers are only three seasons removed from winning a championship, and while the subsequent two seasons were major disappointments, they are showing signs of life.
A healthy trio of James, Davis and Westbrook with a few more pieces added is a potentially scary proposition for the Western Conference, and on Friday against the Grizzlies, the Lakers showed they can beat one of the West's best even at less than full strength.
