Three Things to Know: Lakers at Grizzlies 3-27-24

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The Lakers (40-32) are in Memphis for a Wednesday evening contest against the Grizzlies (24-48). The game tips at 5:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet.

DOUBLE OT DRAMA

The Lakers always have at least two long trips per season that take them through the Midwest and the East Coast, typically lasting either five or six games, with at least one of them occurring during the Grammys. This season, that first Grammy trip was tipped off with a dramatic Double OT victory at Golden State. The second 6-game trip, which began on Tuesday evening in Milwaukee, also featured a dramatic, draining Double OT victory.

One of the hardest things to do after such a game is pick yourself up, and get right back at it against a team that knows nothing of that contest. Indeed, after the GSW win, the Lakers promptly got blown off the floor at Houston, and then lost again at Atlanta to close the month of January before the team rebounded with three straight wins at Boston, New York and Charlotte.

Perhaps those losses on the previous trip will steel the Lakers as they enter a back-to-back contest at Memphis on Wednesday evening, one that comes pretty quick especially for players like Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, who played 52 and 48 minutes, respectively, all of which were necessary in stealing a 128-124 victory from the jaws of defeat, as L.A. trailed by as many as 19 points early in the 4th Q.

Reaves secured his second triple-double of his young career with 29 points, 14 boards and 10 assists plus two blocks, not to mention the game-winning 3-pointer in Double OT, while Davis merely posted 34 points, 23 boards and four blocks - including one to save the game against Damian Lillard at the end of the first OT - with two steals and two assists.

After that kind of effort, Davis and Reaves would be especially thrilled to see LeBron James, who missed the game due to his ankle, is able to return against the Grizzlies.

DAVIS DOMINANCE

All Anthony Davis did last week was carry the Lakers to a 3-0 record en route to his 10th Western Conference Player of the Week Award, before playing 52 minutes against Milwaukee, the most any Laker has played since Kobe hit 52 in 2012:

Vs. Atlanta: 22 points (10 of 14 FG's), 15 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Vs. Philadelphia: 23 points (10 of 16 FG's), 19 boards, 4 assists, 4 blocks

Vs. Indiana: 36 points (15 of 21 FG's), 16 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Vs. Milwaukee: 34 points (12 of 31 FG's), 23 boards, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals

So, in four games, Davis averaged 28.8 points on 57.3% FG's with 18.3 boards, 3.8 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.

The former No. 1 overall pick now has 57 double-doubles and two triple-doubles in 68 games, and has hit the 30-point mark in 18 games. He ranks 15th in scoring in the NBA with 24.7 points per game, with only Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo shooting better than his 55.3% FG's in the top 14. He's third in rebounding (12.6), second in defensive rebounding and eighth on the O glass. Davis is also fourth in blocks per game and 26th in steals, not to mention 9th in average minutes (35.9) and 5th in total minutes (2,438). 

In 67 games (all starts) for the Lakers this season, Davis is averaging 24.6 points (55.8 FG%, 81.2 FT%), 12.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.4 blocks in 35.6 minutes. He has recorded 56 double-doubles, including two triple-doubles, and has scored at least 30 points in 17 contests. Davis ranks third in the NBA in rebounds per game and fifth in blocks per contest. Speaking of blocks, he just passed Kevin McHale for 30th on the NBA's all-time list. Not bad.

CHASING THE SUN

In L.A.'s final push to try and get out of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game, and into the 7 vs. 8 game, Monday and Tuesday was of real significance, as the Suns lost a game they thought they should have won - at San Antonio with Victor Wembanyama sitting - and the Lakers won a game they weren't favored to, without LeBron at Milwaukee.

Meanwhile, Dallas beat Sacramento, pulling one game back from the Kings. As such, here are the scenarios that would have to happen for the Lakers to move up:

IF: LAL 8-2 

THEN: PHX 6-4; DAL 4-6; SAC 5-5 

IF: LAL 7-3 

THEN: PHX 5-5; DAL 3-7; SAC 4-6 

IF: LAL 6-4 

THEN: PHX 4-6; DAL 2-8; SAC 3-7 

IF: LAL 5-5 

THEN: PHX 3-7; DAL 1-9; SAC 2-8

Phoenix (42-30) would be the most likely squad for LAL (40-32) to catch, not just because they're the closest in the loss column, but because the Lakers own the tiebreaker on the strength of a 3-2 record vs. PHX this season (they don't have the tiebreaker vs. either SAC or DAL).

There's another reason to watch the Suns … they have the NBA's toughest remaining schedule, with this gauntlet awaiting:

@ DEN, @ OKC, @ NOP, vs. CLE, vs. MIN, @ NOP, vs. LAC, @ LAC, @ SAC, @ MIN

Indeed, the worst team that PHX plays is SAC, who's No. 7 in the West at 42-30, and the East's No. 3 seed, CLE, is currently without star Donovan Mitchell. But that still leaves eight games against the West's Top 5 teams, only two of which are at home.

The Lakers have to focus first upon winning their own games, but being aware of the opportunity to move up is important, should the Suns start to stumble.