Anthony Davis, LeBron James Power Lakers Past Grizzlies in Narrow Win

So much for the Los Angeles Lakers just going through the motions in the early part of the season and turning on the switch before the playoffs.

Los Angeles improved to 6-2 on the campaign with a 94-92 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Tuesday's Western Conference showdown at FedExForum. LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the way for the Purple and Gold, who have won four games in a row. 

Memphis, which played without Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., fell to 2-5 on the season despite a solid showing from Jonas Valanciunas.

Notable Player Stats

• LeBron James, F, LAL: 26 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 6 TOs
• Anthony Davis, F, LAL: 26 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK, 4 TOs
• Dennis Schroder, G, LAL: 12 PTS, 6 AST
• Jonas Valanciunas, C, MEM: 13 PTS, 11 REB
• Dillon Brooks, G, MEM: 13 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL

LeBron, AD Rescue Lakers in Crunch Time

Even with both teams at full strength, the Lakers have something the Grizzlies do not.

Generational superstars who can take over at a moment's notice.

Los Angeles took a narrow two-point lead into the fourth quarter of Sunday's matchup when James erased any doubts by scoring his team's first 10 points of the period. Throw in the Grizzlies having to worry about Davis as well and not having the ability to consistently double, and the game was all but over.

On Tuesday, the Lakers looked like a team that knew it could rely on the superstars to bail it out in crunch time during a lethargic start. James had just five points and three turnovers at halftime, while only Davis was in double figures.

The offense simply wasn't clicking—with turnover issues and poor perimeter shooting—as the Grizzlies took early control of the game.

Like clockwork, James was more aggressive in the second half and started attacking the basket, battling for boards and facilitating when needed. Davis also showed off his deep touch while protecting the rim and notching a double-double before the fourth quarter even started, which put the visitors in position to win in crunch time yet again.

Even with that, it seemed as if Memphis was going to win with a strong defensive effort until Lakers head coach Frank Vogel played LeBron and Davis together in the final five minutes. 

They took over and scored 15 of Los Angeles' final 17 points, with LeBron hitting a clutch fadeaway and jumper and Davis dunking one home to go up five in the final two minutes. It's as if there was never a doubt they would take over when needed even with the Grizzlies limiting the rest of the supporting cast.

Balanced Effort Not Enough for Memphis

If there is any silver lining for the Grizzlies playing without Morant and Jackson, it is the fact that the supporting cast has been thrown fully into the spotlight.

Sometimes Kyle Anderson is the one leading the way. Sometimes it is Dillon Brooks, while other times it is Valanciunas. All of them have taken on larger roles without Memphis' primary playmaker directing the offense, which could give them more confidence in the stretch run of the season.

Memphis was up to the task of hanging with the defending champions in the early going thanks largely to its bench.

Gorgui Dieng found his stroke out of the gates, De'Anthony Melton played the role of facilitator, and five members of the bench had at least three points when Memphis took a lead into the halftime locker room. It made up for a slow start from Brooks and Anderson, while a solid defensive effort kept the home team ahead for extended stretches.

That balanced effort continued in the second half. Valanciunas did what he could against Davis while tallying a double-double, Brooks hit multiple shots from deep, and Tyus Jones set up his teammates with open looks.

Perhaps no moment was more emblematic of Memphis' fight than Melton blocking AD and flushing home a transition dunk, but the home team just didn't have the star power to counter the Davis and James pairing.

Not even eight players scoring at least seven points was enough in the loss.

What's Next?

Both teams are home on Thursday when the Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs and the Grizzlies play the Cleveland Cavaliers.