MEMPHIS • With the exception of Dennis Schroder, the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer acquisitions have yet to really make their mark on the National Basketball Association (NBA) champions.
But when you have Finals Most Valuable Player LeBron James and fellow All-Star Anthony Davis on the court, their presence can pretty much compensate for any off night the team might have.
The duo picked up the pace when the Lakers needed them most, coming up big in the waning minutes to eke out a 94-92 NBA victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
They scored a game-high 26 points apiece to make it four successive wins on the road, improving their record to 6-2 overall and moving to the top of the Western Conference.
Los Angeles came out on the right side of the ledger on a night when their other teammates struggled with their shooting.
Schroder was the only other player to get into double figures with 12 points, so Davis and James had to step up, with the four-time NBA champion, who added 11 rebounds and seven assists, scoring 21 of his points in the second half.
The forwards combined for 15 straight Lakers points in the fourth quarter, leading to praise from coach Frank Vogel.
“That’s why he’s great,” he said of James taking the game by the scruff of the neck alongside Davis.
“He finds a way to make those superhero-type of plays. Our focus is on making sure we don’t need those superhero-type of plays to close games out.
“I have a lot of confidence in LeBron James in the fourth quarter. I don’t really know any other way to say that. I trust him.
“He’s obviously one of the most impressive people I’ve ever been around.”
James, however, played down the plaudits, insisting it was all about keeping the Lakers “in the winning business”.
“We were able to close the game out, get some timely stops and some timely buckets,” he added.
The Lakers now have a two-game homestand, starting with the San Antonio Spurs at the Staples Centre today, and Vogel is looking forward to some rest and recreation, having been on the road for the past week and subject to strict coronavirus protocols.
“It’s almost like we were in the (Disney World) bubble, except we’re not in the bubble,” he said. “You kind of go to work, go back to the hotel and not too much else.”
Over in the Eastern Conference, Kyrie Irving carried the load for the Brooklyn Nets in the absence of fellow All-Star Kevin Durant, scoring a team-high 29 points in a 130-96 romp over the Utah Jazz.
It was just what his team, who improved to 4-4, needed following Spencer Dinwiddie’s knee ligament injury and seeing Durant ruled out for seven days due to safety protocols after contact with someone who tested positive.
Caris LeVert, who contributed 24 points off the bench, claimed that Irving’s display came as no surprise to his Nets teammates.
“We kind of expect that from him,” the forward added. “That was a great start. He took the shots the defence gave him, and he was very efficient out there, great at leading as well… it looked very seamless out there. I think Ky should get a lot of credit for that.”
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