Lakers lose to short-handed Grizzlies in sloppy outing.
The Lakers hoped to continue where they left off against the Celtics, but their intensity wasn't as high and gritty as the short-handed Grizzlies, losing 108–95, dropping their season record back to .500 at 13–13.
In a game where the Grizzlies were without all-star Ja Morant and second option Dillon Brooks, the Lakers couldn't contain an energized Memphis team, matching their season-high in turnovers with 22, with the Grizzlies taking advantage of their mishaps, scoring 27 points off their turnovers.
Head coach Frank Vogel spoke on the performance so far this year for the Lakers, highlighting their biggest concern, saying: "Our biggest problem this year is consistency."
In tonight's defeat, LeBron James had a historic triple-double, recording his 100th career triple-double with 20 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds.
James spoke on the Lakers' struggles turning the ball over tonight, saying: "Tonight turnovers killed us. That's been our Achilles heel before the last seven games."
After having a solid 9 game stretch before tonight's loss, Russell Westbrook finished tonight's game scoring just 9 points on 9 attempts (3–9). Finishing with a plus/minus of -16, Westbrook finished with a team-high in turnovers with six overall.
Westbrook added on to the word around this Lakers locker room, explaining: "We gotta be able to own our shit. Simple as that."
Finishing first on the Lakers in scoring tonight, Anthony Davis had a rough night on both ends with consistency, finishing with 22 points on 9 of 18 (50%) shooting overall, adding 8 rebounds in his efforts.
Just like Frank Vogel, Davis spoke on the consistency surrounding the Lakers team, saying: "We've got to be a more consistent team to truly compete for a championship."
The Lakers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second game of a back-to-back road trip tomorrow in an attempt to get back on track and stay above .500 on the season.