The Los Angeles Lakers picked up an impressive victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night and the bench was a big factor in the outcome.
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a devastating defeat against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. After leading by 10 points heading into the fourth quarter, Los Angeles had their doors blown off, losing the fourth quarter by 23 points.
It was a disappointing outcome, but Los Angeles didn’t have much time to lick their wounds. They were on the road immediately, facing off with the Memphis Grizzlies on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Grizzlies were also on the second night of a back-to-back, as they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. They seemed content with that victory, as the Lakers looked motivated and ran Memphis out of their own gym.
The Lakers ended up blowing out the Grizzlies, winning 111-88. It was a dominant performance throughout, as Los Angeles looked to have that extra boost of energy to turn the tide. A big reason for the blowout win was the bench.
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The Lakers have had to adjust their lineups more than they had hoped they would this season. No matter how much Luke Walton has to adjust things, the bench brings energy and effort on a nightly basis, and Saturday evening was no different.
Much as he has been doing since arriving in Los Angeles, Tyson Chandler once again provided a spark. His intensity defensively is infectious as he motivates his teammates on that end of the court. You can always hear the microphones around the court picking up Chandler’s voice, yelling out assignments and helping his teammates get into the right positions defensively.
Chandler doesn’t put up gaudy stats, but he stuffed the stat sheet in this one. He pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds; the Grizzlies’ bench combined for only 17. Chandler also added four points, one assist and one steal, finishing the game with a plus/minus ratio of +22.
Just how dominant were the Lakers in this game? Chandler didn’t even register the highest plus/minus ration. That honor would go to Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who finished the game with a plus/minus ratio of +25.
Svi has bounced back nicely in the last two games as he is receiving a chance to play more with Brandon Ingram sidelined. In his last two games, he is shooting 5-of-9 from the 3-point line, showcasing the 3-point prowess that got him drafted in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
Mykhailiuk scored 11 points against the Grizzlies, but the leading man off the bench was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope has really started coming on in recent weeks, and that continued against Memphis.
KCP scored 16 points, knocking down four 3-pointers in the process, finishing the game with a plus/minus ratio of +17. In addition to Svi and KCP, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart also knocked down at least three 3-pointers against Memphis.
Not to be left out, Lance Stephenson also had a strong game against the Grizzlies. Stephenson scored nine points with four rebounds and two assists, finishing the game with a +9 ratio.
This was an excellent showing from the Lakers bench unit. As long as they continue playing at a high level, Los Angeles will be difficult to beat.
With the victory, the Lakers now have a record of 16-10. They are in fifth place in the Western Conference, only 1.5 games out of first place. They will look to continue their ascent up the standings when they host the Miami Heat on Monday night.