Luka Doncic returned after a three-game injury absence to lead the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to a 117-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies Friday during the first night of NBA Cup play.
Doncic finished with 44 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes. Austin Reaves added 21 for the Lakers. Deandre Ayton had nine points in 17 first-half minutes for the Lakers, but did not return.
For the Grizzlies, Jock Landale and Jaylen Wells had 16 points each, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 15 and rookie Cedric Coward added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Ja Morant struggled from the outset and finished with only eight points on 3-of-14 shooting for the Grizzlies. He did not score in the second half. Morant was 0-for-6 from long range to continue his early-season shooting slump. He is 5-of-32 from 3-point distance.
With the loss, the Grizzlies dropped to 1-8 in NBA Cup play in the in-season tournament’s three-year existence.
Doncic returned after missing the previous three games with a sprained left hand and a lower left-leg contusion. LeBron James has not played this season because of right-side sciatica. He’s expected back in mid-November.
In Doncic’s and James’ absences, Reaves had picked up the scoring and leadership load. Reaves entered Friday’s game having averaged 40 points and 10 assists in the three-game stretch, a first for a Laker since Jerry West accomplished the feat in March of 1970.
The Grizzlies led by 14 at the half, but the Lakers, paced by Doncic, gradually recovered. Doncic had 16 points in the third quarter and his scoring helped the Lakers take advantage of a poor-shooting Memphis team. The Grizzlies missed 12 of their first 14 shots of the quarter, but were up, 91-89, entering the final quarter.
Memphis trailed by eight (44-36) early in the second quarter before taking command. The Grizzlies put together a 29-6 run to build a 65-50 lead in the closing minutes of the quarter. The Memphis bench, led by Vince Williams Jr.’s seven points, helped the Grizzlies outscore the Lakers, 42-24, in the second quarter. Williams was making his season debut after missing the first few weeks with an ankle injury.
