The Los Angeles Lakers got back in the win column on Friday night with a 128-121 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. L.A. got the win despite missing Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent, with head coach JJ Redick turning to Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes for more expanded roles.
Sciatica had sidelined LeBron James at the beginning of the 2025-26 regular season. For most naysayers, that absence became a playground for criticisms and calls for retirement.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick offered a concise explanation for his late-game lineup decision following Friday night’s 128-121 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, choosing Jaxson Hayes over Deandre Ayton to close the contest.
Part of what makes the NBA, or any pro sports league, so compelling to watch is the narratives, especially those centered on rivalries. Throughout the decades, the NBA has fostered a number of rivalries, some long-lasting and others short but sweet.
Jake LaRavia got off to a start start in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, establishing himself as a solid two-way wing off the bench. It didn’t take long for head coach JJ Redick to trust LaRavia on both ends of the floor as he was often a staple of lineups alongside the stars and held up well guarding scoring wings.
While nobody had dared say it out loud, LeBron James had pretty much been counted out by many fans and analysts this season. For the first time in his career, his contract situation was shrouded in mystery.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been banged up the past few weeks as several rotation players like Gabe Vincent have been sidelined due to injuries. Vincent has missed time recently due to a lower back injury, though he also suffered an ankle injury earlier in the 2025-26 season that also forced him out of the lineup as well.
The Los Angeles Lakers have started to fall back down to Earth in recent weeks as matchups against playoff-bound teams have given them trouble. Fortunately, the Lakers had a great opportunity to bounce back as they hosted the Memphis Grizzlies to kick off 2026.
The LA Lakers play-by-play voice, Bill Macdonald, and analyst Stu Lantz are usually calm and fair, quick to praise opponents and criticize the Lakers when needed.
JJ Redick finally addressed the challenge of coaching LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves on the LA Lakers. JJ Redick has openly acknowledged what many have wondered: managing a team built around LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves is not difficult because of the immense talent.
The Los Angeles Lakers caught a break tonight, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 128-121, and it was a feel-good victory all around for a team that has struggled recently.
Praise for Jarred Vanderbilt in LakeShow is usually in short supply. In his seventh season, fans are yet to see definitive improvement from him. Some even question why JJ Redick puts him in the rotation.
The Los Angeles Lakers steadied themselves on Friday night, responding to a humbling blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons by taking control against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers needed a response after a rough December, and Friday offered one. Not perfect. Not smooth. But good enough. Los Angeles opened the new year with a 128-121 home win over the short-handed Grizzlies, improving to 21-11 in a game that felt far more unstable than the final score suggests.
Luka Doncic scored 34 points with eight assists and LeBron James added 31 points with nine rebounds as the host Los Angeles Lakers finished off a 128-121 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
After a considerably noteworthy rookie campaign, Los Angeles Lakers small forward Dalton Knecht saw his role in head coach JJ Redick’s rotation decrease this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers came into the 2025 NBA Draft without a first-round pick, but by the end of the night, they felt like they had a first-round talent on their hands.
While Los Angeles Lakers’ Austin Reaves future with the team remains uncertain, NBA analyst Zach Lowe predicts he will re-sign, but isn’t ruling out a trade in the near future.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic can do a lot of things on the basketball court at a high level, but defense remains a vulnerable aspect of his game.