Lakers ease past the Grizzlies to win 124-105; Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol lead
The Memphis Grizzlies came into the match on the back of two consecutive victories and were hoping to turn the tables on a strong Los Angeles Lakers team who are aiming for a third Championship ring in a row. Going into the match,
the odds were heavily stacked against the Grizzlies. The Lakers have started the season in style, scoring at an average of 111 points per game, a second best point differential in the league at 11.33, and are one of the three unbeaten teams in the competition
thus far, Atlanta and New Orleans being the other two. In one-to-one matchup as well, the Los Angeles Lakers have been supremely dominant over the Grizzlies, winning 42 of 56 total encounters and have lost only 5 of the 28 at home.
Things were looking ominous for the Grizzlies again as the Lakers stepped on the gas pedal from the very beginning and raced to a 13-2 advantage in the first four minutes of the game, a lead which they did not relinquish the entire
match. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol particularly, hit the ground running and ran through the defences of their opponents to finish the quarter with the Lakers leading by 11 points at 34-23.
The Lakers started the second quarter in the same vein. Shannon Brown provided the initial push with a driving jump shot and followed it with a layup shot as the Lakers routed the Grizzlies 39-23 in the quarter. The Lakers’ assault
in the quarter included six three pointers, three coming from Kobe, as they tightened their grip on the match. The teams went to the locker room at 73-46 in favour of the Lakers and the hopes of Grizzlies getting to a 3-1 result at the start of the season
- a feat which they have not achieved since the 2005-06 season - fading quickly.
The Grizzlies, who were heavily depending on Rudy g*y, OJ Mayo and Mike Conley to shape up their offense in the absence of injured Zack Randolph, started to press the Lakers in the third quarter. g*y was particularly impressive
as he complemented his first half performance of 15 points with another 15 in the quarter. With 5:07 remaining in the third quarter, g*y slipped in three free throws to reduce the Lakers lead to 14 points at 81-67, but The Lakers bounced right back in last
five minutes, outscoring the Grizzlies 16-9 to take a lead of 21 points in the final period.
The Grizzlies outscored the Lakers in the fourth quarter by 29-27 but the Lakers kept the Memphis charge in check to clinch victory by 19 points to beat them for the fourth time in a row at the Staples centre.
The Lakers continued their domination over the Grizzlies emphatically in a match that witnessed six Los Angeles players getting to double figures. Kobe Bryant, who played for only twenty-six minutes, led the way with 23 points.
Pau Gasol also had an excellent game and finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists while Lamar Odom chipped in with 17 points, 8 rebounds and six assists. Matt Barnes also made his mark on the match with an impressive 14 rebounds, to go with 16 points.
For the Grizzlies, Rudy g*y led the charge with a game-high 30 points. Four other Memphis players got into the double figures, but their efforts were not enough to edge past an in-form and a well knitted Lakers outfit. The Lakers
extend their unbeaten run in the season to 4-0 with a resounding performance and never gave the Grizzlies any chance in the match.
Tags: