Lakers vs. Grizzlies: Highlights, Twitter Reaction, Grades and Analysis
The Los Angeles Lakers had a nice answer to their road woes, as they came up with a big 116-111 double OT win over the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night.
It was a nice win for L.A. because had they lost, Memphis would have passed them for third place in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies have now lost just six games all year at home.
The Lakers' woes on the road are well documented, and they are still just 8-15 as the away team. This was a big win, but it should be mentioned that they were taking on a Memphis team playing without not just Zach Randolph, who has been out for most of the season, but also their leading scorer in Rudy Gay.
Tweets of the Night
Belal Abdelfattah knows what happens when the Lakers hit the road.
"the lakers on the road, where amazingly terrible happens
— Belal Abdelfattah (@Belal_A) March 14, 2012 "
This fan raises a good point that the Lakers' struggles may continue, as they face a quick turnaround after a long game.
"Another OT -_- lakers are gunna be insanely tired against the Hornets tomorrow
— Karin Abcarians (@DANGER_karin) March 14, 2012"
Lakers Nation points out that Derek Fisher passed a milestone in this game.
"Congratulations to @DerekFisher on surpassing 10,000 points in his wonderful career. bit.ly/AqEqzr
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) March 14, 2012"
Congratulations to Fisher for this amazing and hard-earned accomplishment.
Must-See Highlight of the Night
Lob City may refer to the other team in Los Angeles, but the Lakers have a nice alley-oop connection of their own. And that connection involves anyone throwing it up to Andrew Bynum.
Grades for Key Lakers Players
Bryant had a solid game. He hit a three to tie the game at 95, but missed a 12-footer that would've given the Lakers the lead with under 20 seconds to play in regulation. He also missed a 16-foot jumper as time expired in the first OT.
Kobe played every minute of the second half and both OTs. He finished with 34 points on 11-of-25 shooting.
Pau Gasol: C-
Pau didn't have his best game. There are no two ways about it. He was not involved and couldn't seem to find a way to contribute. He finished with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting with just five rebounds. He did contribute eight assists, though.
Andrew Bynum: A
Bynum was fantastic. He was active, productive and efficient. He ended with 37 points, going a spectacular 15-of-18 from the floor. He also had 16 boards. And that is what you call a man's double-double.
Grades for Key Grizzlies Players
Mike Conley: C-
Conley did a nice job distributing the ball, but he was horrendous shooting it. With Rudy Gay out, this would have been a nice night for Conley to step up his scoring.
Conley had 10 points and was just 5-of-15 from the field. He did end up with 11 assists.
Marc Gasol: B-
Marc was far more active than his brother, but that wasn't always a good thing. He had 20 points, but was just 10-of-25 from the field.
Tony Allen: B
Allen did a nice job stepping up his scoring in Gay's absence. He had 18 points, but disappeared down the stretch.
Stat of the Night: 18
That would be the number of turnovers the Lake Show had. If they needed any extra motivation to add a PG before the trade deadline, they got it.
Game MVP: Andrew Bynum
Bynum was spectacular. He played an amazing game and scored big buckets every time the Lakers needed them.
What's Next?
The Lakers will quickly hop on a jet and head to New Orleans for a Wednesday matchup with the Hornets.
Memphis gets to kick back at home, take a couple of days off and then host the Raptors on Friday.
