National Basketball Association
L.A. Lakers 107, Memphis 100
When: 10:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #6 Tony Brown, #32 Marat Kogut, #15 Zach Zarba
Attendance: 18997

LOS ANGELES -- Tony Allen said the Los Angeles Lakers played with more of an edge Tuesday, and the result was a surprising victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points, Kobe Bryant added 20 points, and the Lakers ended a four-game skid by defeating the Grizzlies 107-100 Tuesday night at Staples Center.

"We needed it more than they did, obviously, (but) they were more aggressive tonight," said Allen, a Memphis guard who scored a game-high 27 points and hit all 12 of his field-goal attempts.

Lakers forward Brandon Bass contributed 18 points, eight of those in the final quarter, and converted some clutch baskets in the last three minutes of the game, including a reverse dunk that gave Los Angeles a 105-98 edge with 1:02 remaining. That was too much for the Grizzlies, who missed an opportunity to pick up a half-game in the Western Conference race for the No. 4 spot with the idle Los Angeles Clippers.

Memphis (41-31) trails the Clippers, who meet the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, by 3 1/2 games.

Julius Randle had 13 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for Los Angeles, which snapped a nine-game losing streak to Memphis. Lou Williams also scored 13 for the Lakers (15-55).

"We covered some mistakes," said Bryant, who made seven of 18 shots from the floor, hit two of five 3-pointers and committed four turnovers in 30 minutes. "I felt like we played hard. Certain stretches in the game we made the right defensive play."

Added Williams, "We stayed poised, and at the same time, we made plays down the stretch."

Zach Randolph and Lance Stephenson had 16 points each for the Grizzlies, who were coming off a 103-97 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. Both players also collected six rebounds. Randolph's boards allowed him to pass Artis Gilmore for 47th place on the NBA's all-time rebounding list with 9,163.

The short-handed Grizzlies again played without Mike Conley (left Achilles tendinitis), P.J. Hairston (left groin strain) and Brandan Wright (right MCL sprain). They already lost Marc Gasol (broken right foot) for the season.

Randolph, though he finished the game, sprained his right ankle and limped noticeable throughout.

However, Allen used none of that as an excuse.

"They played with a little more energy than us tonight," Allen said of the Lakers. "They outhustled us. They had a little more pep in their step, I believe. They're a young talent group. They are the future of the NBA. Take nothing away from those guys, we just should have come out here and been much better."

Lakers rookie guard D'Angelo Russell sustained a bruised left shin in the second quarter and did not return for the second half. Russell finished with 11 points in 22 minutes.

The Lakers used a third-quarter surge for an 81-71 advantage after two foul shots by Williams with 1:35 remaining in the period. However, Memphis scored the final seven points of the quarter, cutting the deficit to 81-78 heading into the fourth.

The Grizzlies made runs in the fourth but were never able to gain a lead.

Memphis took a 48-47 lead into halftime. Neither team was sharp offensively in the opening two quarters as they combined for 24 first-half turnovers. The Lakers committed 14 of them.

Overall, the Lakers had 22 miscues (leading to 26 points) to 20 (leading 21 points) for the Grizzlies.

Both clubs shot well, with the Lakers making 50.6 percent of their shots to 50 percent for the Grizzlies.

"They made tough shots at the end of the game," said Stephenson, who sank five of his 12 attempts. "They got the hustle rebounds and hustle points, so that's how we lost."

Lakers reserve forward Metta World Peace, who managed just two points in 13 minutes, was ejected with 10:45 left in the contest after receiving a pair of technical fouls for arguing.

NOTES: NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league would revisit revamping the NBA draft lottery later this year, although he didn't provide specifics during a brief meeting with the media Tuesday at Staples Center. "So it's no secret that I had proposed a change in the lottery system a year and a half ago or so, and NBA owners, while a majority of the owners were in favor of making the change, a super majority were not," said Silver, who was in Los Angeles to formally announce the city would host the 2018 NBA All-Game. ... The Grizzlies are now 9-7 on the second end of back-to-backs. ... Lakers F Larry Nance Jr. sat out with a sore right knee. ... The Lakers play the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday. The Grizzlies visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Top Game Performances
 
Memphis   L.A. Lakers
Tony Allen 27 Scoring Jordan Clarkson 22
Tony Allen 5 Assists Marcelo Huertas 7
Vince Carter 7 Rebounds Julius Randle 14
Lance Stephenson 5 Free Throws Made Lou Williams 5
Zach Randolph 3 Steals Brandon Bass 2
Matt Barnes 1 Blocks Julius Randle 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Memphis 100 50.0 4-15 16-23 23 33 2 13 20
L.A. Lakers 107 50.6 6-19 23-24 21 40 4 10 22
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against Phoenix. The Lakers have a W/L % of .286 after a win and .196 after a loss.
  • Memphis will play their next game on the road against San Antonio. The Grizzlies have a W/L % of .512 after a win and .645 after a loss.