Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James had a big 4th quarter to help the Lakers get their 3rd straight win.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was slow to prioritize his own scoring on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps he was simply too elated the Cleveland Browns had finally made the playoffs. However, James eventually delivered and helped the Lakers earn their third straight win. James scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers get their first 3-game win streak of the season, 108-94.
James wasn’t the only one to start slowly. The Lakers fell behind by double-digits in the first quarter, only to steal a lead from the Grizzlies, who are without Ja Morant for the next few weeks after the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year suffered an ankle sprain. While the Grizzlies are a talented and plucky young team, the Lakers’ veteran prowess and their championship level showed up in the final three quarters.
In addition to the 22 points, James had 13 rebounds and nine assists. The Lakers also received contributions from up and down the roster to help them survive a rare poor shooting night for Anthony Davis (6 for 15). Wesley Matthews and Montrezl Harrell both scored well off the bench.
The Lakers face off against the Grizzlies again on Tuesday in Memphis before the Lakers head back to L.A.
Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks is currently enjoying the best season of his professional career, averaging 15.6 points per game thus far.
Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks is currently enjoying the best year of his professional career, averaging 15.6 points per game thus far. Brooks, who was selected in the second round of the 2017 NBA draft, recently signed a three-year, $35 million deal to remain with the Grizzlies.
HoopsHype spoke to him about some of his takeaways on the season.
You were a lead cheerleader on the floor against the Brooklyn Nets. Can you walk me through some of the moves that you were doing out there to support your teammates?
Dillon Brooks: Yeah yeah yeah! After every three-pointer, I put the firework in the ground and then light it and then let it fly up there and it goes like “pew!” every time. I’ll sometimes plant multiple fireworks in the ground so it can fly up. But we have fun on the bench. As a group, we all love each other and we all want the best for each other. We have a super friendship. That’s why you see it all come together on the court, which is amazing. I love these guys and I love playing with them. It is why I signed so early. I want to be a part of this and be a part of the surge of the next-gen. I just love playing with these guys.
How much do you think the chemistry on this team has played on your winning?
DB: It’s great. We’re learning really fast. The only way you learn winning fast is if you do it at 100 percent. Guys are going 100 percent and feeding off each other. Once we put one guy in, they fit right in and they learn the culture that we are building. It’s a tribute to Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. and those guys that bring it every single night. The guys follow suit and while we’re here we lead by example. We’ve got a couple of vets here that talk about their experiences in the league and that’s always good for the young guys. But we have fun out there. We play our game and also know each other’s games to a T.
Before the game, coach Jenkins told me that you were one of the most competitive guys he has met. I know you have a ton of confidence. With that in mind, how much would a playoff run mean to you?
DB: It would mean so much. I feel like teams don’t want to see us. We’re like that wildcard team. We feel like we’re underdogs this year. We’re playing free and we’re playing fast. We’re playing defense and we want to learn this stuff organically. We’ve got guys that work the same way as me. Our young guys work the same way. They want to feed off that. It’s a tribute to coming out every single day in practice and shooting and treatment and weights. We do it one hundred percent, which we always talk about.
How would you personally describe your competitive nature?
DB: It can get over the top. When I came out of college, I never thought I was going to be playing defense the way I’m playing now. But that’s what my first coach told me. You’re only going to get on the floor if you can play defense so I raised my level and tried to make myself competitive on the defensive end. I knew my offense would come. I’m a scorer. So I want to lock you up and then come back and give you a bucket and then talk a little bit and do the same thing and keep the motor every time so my team can see that and raise their levels as well.
Do you think your team plays with a bit of a chip on your shoulder? For example, you and Ja were both very vocal about someone on the roster who decided not to report to the team. Do you channel that energy into your competitiveness?
DB: Yeah, of course. Our teammates ride with us. That’s the beauty of this. We always have each other’s backs. That’s why the Golden State Warriors were so great. That’s why the Cleveland Cavaliers were so great. They all had friendships off the court, too. When you care about somebody like that, you are going to try to do the most for them. I think that is what we have here and I think that is what we had in my college days, too. But it was different when I got here in my first year. This culture is changing and we have chemistry and guys love playing with each other. Meeting with the coaching staff and the front office and talking the game, it’s always a great thing to have that type of love and emotion in the locker room.
Assuming everything goes as expected, do you still plan to participate with Team Canada in the Olympics?
Jamal Murray R.J. Barrett Dillon Brooks Dwight Powell Cory Joseph Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Tristan Thompson Nik Stauskas Kelly Olynyk Justin Jackson Trey Lyles
That's a potentially interesting 2020 Olympic team even without …. Andrew Wiggins.
DB: Yeah, absolutely. We are going to make a run. Hopefully, we can beat that virus so we can get over there and play. But I want to make history. I know we have a lot of guys in the league right now like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray and Tristan Thompson and Kelly Olynyk. We all want to make history. We think we could go the whole way. We’ve got guys in this league right now that are stars.
What do you think are the biggest ways that you have improved since your time in college on the Oregon Ducks?
DB: I’ve improved my dribbling. I’ve improved learning the NBA game and watching the best players in this league, trying to replicate that and practice it the way they do. Each time I get a new coach, I try to figure out how I can fit myself into their system and that is the hardest thing because each coach has a different scheme and other different things they do. You have to think on the fly and keep your confidence up regardless of what is happening. I also try to learn from each player that comes through here. We’ve had a lot come through here. I try to learn from all the great players in this league.
Staying on the topic of Oregon, their men’s basketball team has been playing well once again this year. What do you think of their shots at making a run in March Madness?
DB: I feel like they always have a shot. There is always a point and time in a year for a team coached by Dana Altman where his coaching gets amazing and guys follow suit and they always go on a run. I always support Oregon and Dana, who did so much for me as a basketball player and as a man. He taught me a lot. He taught everyone in that locker room. There is one thing he said: you’re never going to forget these memories, who you played with and what you guys did. These memories are helped by winning and doing those things. So he pushed us to win because that helps bring you to the NBA. He believed in me and that’s why I’m in this position right now.
Speaking of which, you’ve had the chance to play with former Oregon star players Jordan Bell and Tyler Dorsey now in the NCAA. What is it like being able to play with your old college teammates at the next level and see those dreams come true?
DB: It was great being with them. We understood that our time together wasn’t over. Tyler went overseas and Jordan, when he was waived last month, I told him that I’ve always got him. Those guys are my brothers. We always meet up in the summer. We always hang out. Jordan was always coming to my house when he was on the team and so was Tyler. I always look out for those guys, they are my dogs. Same with Chris Boucher. He is playing so well right now on the Raptors. I love watching my guys play and succeed and watching them go through life, go through different adversities. How are they going to respond?
Is that why you still rep those Oregon shoes that you wore during the game today or is that just because of the fashion associated with them?
Photo obtained with permission from Dillon Brooks by USA TODAY Sports Media Group
DB: Both. They send me a lot of shoes. But I’m bringing out my own. I always rep Oregon. These were Hyperdunks from 2017. They were custom for me, not even player edition sneakers. They were made for me because I hurt my foot. I have four or five pairs in different colors.
Before we go, I would love if you could just walk me through this outfit that you are wearing tonight.
DB: The pants are some old AMIRI. I’ve got Dior on my feet. I just bought the top, it’s from Off-White. I like putting stuff together. I like the color contrasting. I like making myself look good and feel confident with the drip. It’s light work. It’s comfortable, too.
What about the glasses? I know you wear those indoors a lot, too, which is definitely a look.
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
DB: Always, man. Ever since my rookie year – actually, even when I was in college – I’ve done that. I always wear glasses indoors. You see things with a different shade. These are made by Louis Vouitton.
You told CloseUp360’s Josh Martin that you’re the best-dressed guy on the team. Would you still say that after the recent moves by the squad?
DB: Yeah. We’ve got some new guys so I have to see what they’re dealing with. But I feel like I am. Honestly, I want to see what Ja Morant wears when he is trying to dress up. Because he mostly pulls up in tracksuits. So one time, it’d be great to see him with jeans on or something.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a 7-game losing streak against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers saw seven-game win-streak snap on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies as Memphis also snapped a five-game losing streak as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 105-88.
LeBron James returned to the court after missing Thursday’s game, finishing with 19 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in the loss. Anthony Davis had 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the loss while the Grizzlies got a major win as they look to hold on to the 8th spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
Ja Morant had a monster game with 27 points and 14 assists, while Jonas Valanciunas an even more monstrous performance with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Dillon Brooks, who hit LeBron in the face in the 4th quarter, had 24 points and five rebounds on nine of 24 from the field.
The only players off of the Lakers bench who scored in double-figure were Kyle Kuzma (10) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (11). Now the Lakers head to New Orleans on Monday for what should likely be another heated match-up against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.
Led by 33 points from Westbrook, the Rockets (38-20) routed Memphis on Wednesday for their fifth consecutive win and eighth in 10 games.
Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 63 points on 60% shooting as the Houston Rockets cruised to a fifth straight win with a 140-112 blowout (box score) of visiting Memphis on Wednesday night.
Westbrook led Houston in scoring and rebounding with 33 and nine, respectively, while Harden was second with 30 and seven. Best of all, led by the 2020 All-Star duo of former MVPs, the Rockets (38-20) have now won eight of 10 games and are a season-best 18 games over .500.
The Grizzlies (28-30), who remain in the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot, were paced by 22 points from Dillon Brooks.
Russell Westbrook: "I don't really care what nobody else thinks about my game… As long as I'm satisfied with what I do and bring to the table, I'm going to keep busting everybody's ass." pic.twitter.com/yV1K9sdoOZ
Since Houston’s Feb. 5 trade for Robert Covington and the permanent switch to a smaller lineup — designed to provide defensive versatility and floor spacing — Westbrook has exceeded 52% shooting in all six of his games played, and he’s scored more than 30 points in five of them.
Prior to this run, the longest streak of consecutive games in Westbrook’s entire 12-year NBA career at 52% or better shooting was three.
In his past six games, Westbrook has averaged 34 points on 56.9 percent shooting. In February, he has averaged 32.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists with the Rockets 6-1 in the games he has played, losing only on the buzzer beater against the Jazz. https://t.co/azhC2QTrLL
The Rockets have won five of those six games during Westbrook’s surge, with all victories by double digits. The one loss was on a very improbable buzzer-beater from Utah’s Bojan Bogdanovic.
Russell Westbrook has an NBA-leading 14 30-pt games since Jan. 1 – 14 of his 19 such games this season have come in 2020.
He's also scored 20 points in 29 straight games, tying Moses Malone for the 4th-longest streak in Rockets history. Only James Harden has had longer streaks. pic.twitter.com/JA2seJbNkI
Houston’s versatile defense was also a big storyline Wednesday, with the Rockets taking a commanding 35-17 lead after the first quarter. It’s the third time in February that the Rockets have limited an opponent below 20 points in the first quarter, and they’re 3-0 in those games.
Prior to February and the switch to a smaller lineup, Houston had only held an opponent below 20 points in the first quarter once all season.
Austin Rivers: "Defensively, during huddles – it's the most talk we've had since I've been a Rocket, period. It's translated to us just playing great basketball." pic.twitter.com/30Pfn0BuD5
Covington led the way in the frontcourt with six rebounds and three blocks, giving him 18 blocked shots over his last five games.
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Memphis did finish with 112 points, but 65 of those came in the second half after the game was long over. Houston took a overwhelming 82-47 advantage less than two minutes into the third quarter.
Mike D'Antoni on if he was expecting Robert Covington to be the shot blocker he's been for Houston:
"Probably not like that. We knew he was a good defender. I've seen him do it a couple times… Yeah he's got that special kind of talent where he can meet people up top." pic.twitter.com/ApcAcN6YH1
Reserve guards Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore continued their hot shooting of recent weeks, combining for 34 points on 13-of-18 shooting (72.2%) and 7-of-12 on 3-pointers (58.3%).
Austin Rivers: "We just have a group right now that's really coming together on both ends of the floor… Offensively, we can't be guarded. I think we're the best offensive team in the league. When our defense is up to par, we become a hard team to beat."
Backup center Jeff Green, who announced pregame that he had agreed to a rest-of-season contract with the Rockets, had 11 points on 50% shooting from 3-point range, along with five rebounds and four assists.
Thanks to the blowout, no Houston starter played 35 minutes. Other than Westbrook (34), no one on the roster even played 30 minutes.
The Rockets will now have two off days before returning to action Saturday night in Boston. Tip-off from TD Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central, with the game televised on a national ABC broadcast.
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James Harden on if he enjoys watching Russell Westbrook:"Yeah, I think everybody do. The excitement he brings to the game – I don't know of another player in the league that brings that kind of intensity and is actually skilled." pic.twitter.com/HloMmmqd0s
James Harden and Russell Westbrook have each scored 30+ points in their last two games played together. The last @HoustonRockets duo with 30+ points each in two straight games was Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon (Dec. 1995). @EliasSportspic.twitter.com/zihgUqGuNB
The Los Angeles Lakers are back from break and back to winning again after beating the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
The Los Angeles Lakers led from end-to-end as they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in what may be a preview of their eventual first round series, beating the plucky Grizzlies on Friday night, 117-105.
The Lakers led from the very beginning of the night, jumping out to a 9-2 run and they essentially never looked back. LeBron James led the way with 32 points and six assists while Anthony Davis had 27 points,13 rebounds, and seven blocks but the Lakers shot below 30% from the 3-point line on the evening. The Lakers now move to 42-12 as they continue to extend their lead for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
As for the Grizzlies, they played without forward Jaren Jackson Jr. in the second half and reclamation project Josh Jackson led the team in scoring on the second night of a back-to-back with 20 points.
Up next for the Laker is a matinee at Staples Center against the Boston Celtics, who have plenty of experience when it comes to facing LeBron James under the lights.
With Russell Westbrook (rest) out, a combined 64 points from James Harden and Eric Gordon weren’t enough against Ja Morant and Memphis.
With Houston guard Russell Westbrook out to rest on the front end of a back-to-back, backcourt co-star and NBA scoring leader James Harden broke 40 points for the fourth time in seven games.
But it wasn’t nearly enough on the road against Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies (19-22), who extended their impressive winning streak to six games in a 121-110 victory over Harden’s Rockets (26-13) on Tuesday night (box score).
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The Grizzlies were led by their lightning-quick point guard with 26 points and eight assists on 10-of-11 shooting (90.9%), including 3-of-4 on 3-pointers (75%). Backcourt mate Dillon Brooks wasn’t far behind, scoring 24 points on a blistering 6-of-10 clip (60%) from 3-point range.
Mike D’Antoni on Ja Morant: “It’s hard to stay in front of him. He is fast and athletic. He’s going to be a great player. He already is.”
With Morant setting the tone, Memphis took advantage of leaky transition defense to outscore Houston, 25-7, in fast-break points.
Per Synergy, Houston came into tonight as the third-worst team in the league in terms of transition defense. Gave up 25 fast break points to an upstart, exciting Grizzlies team.
Harden had 41 points, six assists, and six rebounds, and the Rockets were a +3 in the 39 minutes played by the former MVP. Eric Gordon also shot well with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting (47.4%) off the bench.
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But unlike recent games, when Westbrook had significant success leading the Rockets’ lineups with Harden on the bench, Houston was outscored by 14 points in the nine minutes that Harden sat on Tuesday.
Danuel House tonight: 26 minutes, 4 points, 1-3 FG, one three-point attempt, 2 turnovers, no assists, no steals, no blocks, -23.
Something isn't right because there's no point in playing him right now.
Since December 9th, the Rockets have been at their best when… Harden is sitting on the bench.
Over the last month they have an insane 116.4 ORTG and a 102.2 DRTG in those minutes, where Westbrook is averaging a ridiculous 35.4 PTS and 9.6 AST per 75 possessions on 55.4 TS% pic.twitter.com/L60uv0tYQK
The Rockets simply lacked the scorers in those minutes without Harden to keep up with Memphis’ blossoming young talent in the form of Morant, Brooks, and a pair of athletic forwards in Brandon Clarke and Jaren Jackson Jr., who combined for 29 points.
On the interior, Clint Capela fared well with 16 points (6-of-7 shooting, 85.7%) and 16 rebounds, but he missed time in the second half due to foul trouble with five fouls. Starting center Jonas Valanciunas led the Grizzlies with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, or 57.1%.
Memphis won the fourth and final quarter, 36-27, to put the game away. It’s the second loss of three games for Houston, and the eighth win in a 10-game stretch for the red-hot Grizzlies.
Griz stay hot & beat the Rockets 121-110. They had 6 finish in double-figures. They have a plethora of young talent & they all played great. Give Morant the Rookie of the Year now. Harden dropped 41, his 5th st 40pt game vs Memphis, but took 37 shots. HOU has lost 4 of 5 on road
The Rockets have a quick turnaround before their next challenge, which takes place Wednesday night from Toyota Center in Houston against the Portland Trail Blazers (17-24). Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Central, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
Westbrook is expected to return to the starting lineup for that game.
