Grading every Lakers player’s performance from the team’s 134-127 win over the Grizzlies.
The Lakers needed a win over the Grizzlies like a fish needs water, so it’s a good thing they got it done.
It was a tough game with eight different lead changes, but the Lakers pulled away midway through the fourth and never looked back.
L.A.’s big three of Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Luka Dončić had their best game as a trio in quite some time, scoring 85 points and going 24-26 from the free throw line.
With the victory in hand, the Lakers are now a full game ahead of the Grizzlies in the standings and own the tiebreaker over Memphis since they’ve won the season series 3-1.
On Monday, they can even the season series against the Rockets, gaining ground on the current No. 2 seed in the West. But more on that later, for now, it’s time to analyze this victory.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
Rui Hachimura
28 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 5-8 FG, 3-5 3PT, -3
After missing the previous contest to rest the left patellar tendinopathy injury he’s been dealing with, Rui seemed fine and played his usual 28 minutes, which appears to be the most his current minute restriction allows.
Offensively, he spaced the floor and knocked down his open jumpers and defensively, he didn’t provide much except a nice block on Ja Morant in the fourth quarter.
Grade: B
LeBron James
37 minutes, 25 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 10-21 FG, 2-5 3PT, 3-4 FT, -1
LeBron had his best game since returning from his groin strain. He looked much more comfortable shooting from deep, was active on defense, grabbing steals and shot well from the line.
He still had issues finishing inside, but it was a step in the right direction and it’s always better to come away with the win and still have room to get better.
Grade: B-
Jaxson Hayes
17 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1-1 FG, +3
There was zero attempt to get Hayes going offensively on Saturday night. Now, Memphis had something to do with that, but it seemed to me that Luka, Austin and LeBrin didn’t look his way much during pick-and-roll actions.
Hayes still found ways to be an impactful player, grabbing rebounds and forcing switches, which is why he was one of only two starters with a positive plus-minus in this game.
Grade: C+
Luka Dončić
38 minutes, 29 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 8-18 FG, 2-9 3PT, 11-12 FT, +11
The great thing about Luka is that he is relentless. Even when his jumper is off, he will continue to assault the defense and find ways to chip away at their resistance.
Against the Grizzlies, he did it by scoring inside, making 11 of 12 free throws and dishing out nine assists. Even a not great Luka game is pretty good and if this is his general baseline, that’s a superb standard a team can rely on.
Grade: B+
Austin Reaves
37 minutes, 31 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 8-16 FG, 5-8 3 PT, 10-10 FT, -5
There is no big three, it’s just big Reaves.
Austin, on a bum ankle, torched Memphis. He led the Lakers with 31 points, made all 10 of his free throws and made huge plays throughout the game to secure the result for Los Angeles.
My favorite play wasn’t one of his threes or his fancy dribbling; it was a grit-and-grind play in the fourth.
With Memphis still in the game, he fronted Jaren Jackson Jr. and denied him the ball. Santi Aldama still tried to feed JJJ, but Austin held his position firm and Jackson Jr., fouled him in frustration
Those are the tough, scrappy plays he makes that impact winning.
Grade: A+
Dorian Finney-Smith
35 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4-9 FG, 3-7 3PT, +15
DFS is in JJ Redick’s circle of trust.
He plays good defense, hits his open looks and rarely turns the ball over. Unsurprisingly, he led the bench in minutes played and had a plus-minus of +15 in the season’s biggest game.
Grade: B+
Jarred Vanderbilt
10 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3-5 FG, 0-1 3PT, -1
The Vando offensive possession may always be an adventure, but against the Grizzlies, it was less of a bumpy ride. He played a lot less in this game, which was interesting. I’m unsure if that’s a long-term change or just a matter of DFS playing more than usual.
Grade: B
Gabe Vincent
23 minutes, 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5-7 FG, 4-6 3PT, 1-1 FT, +9
Take a bow, Vincent!
He was red hot to start this game, scoring all 15 of his points during the first half. This also means he cooled down considerably and wasn’t very effective after the halftime break, but even so, he performed far better than should be expected.
Grade: A-
Jordan Goodwin, Dalton Knecht
These are back-to-back games now, where Goodwin and Knecht play less than ten minutes. This means no grades for this game, but does it also mean they’ll be on the outside looking at the Lakers’ rotation come playoff time?
JJ Redick
Redick had a great challenge that the Lakers not only won, but also got a flopping technical foul called on JJJ for his disrespect of the game of basketball. Add in going with Vincent, playing DFS more and keeping his cool when Memphis went on a run, and this was a well-coached game by Redick.
Grade: B
Saturday’s DNPs: Alex Len, Shake Milton, Markieff Morris, Bronny James, Christian Koloko
Saturday’s inactives: Maxi Kleber, Trey Jemison III
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.