Austin Reeves scored 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers spoiled Tuomas Iisalo’s first game as an NBA head coach with a 134-127 win over the struggling Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum on Saturday, March 29.
Iisalo was named interim head coach on Friday, March 28, after Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman decided to fire Taylor Jenkins. Memphis’ record falls to 44-30 with the loss, dropping the Grizzlies one game behind the Lakers in the standings. Both teams were tied for fourth place with 44-29 records going into the matchup.
“It’s tough for me. I’ve had coach Jenkins since I’ve been here. This is my first time experiencing a coach leaving. With the timing, it’s tough. We had to quickly turn the page to the Lakers. Thatโs the business part of the NBA,” Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant said.
Morant wasnโt alone. For many of the youthful players, it was the first time in their professional careers that a coach other than Jenkins called the plays from the sidelines. The average age of Memphis’ 15-player roster is 24.
“That’s my dawg. He had been here pretty much the whole time I’ve been here. He made a great impact while he was here. He’ll be a much sought-after coach,” said Jaren Jackson.
Memphis had little answer for Los Angeles’ offense in the first half. The Lakers shot 23 of 44 (52.2%) from the field and hit 10 of 24 (41.7%) from three-point range.
Reeves shot 5 of 8 from beyond the arc for the game. He also had eight assists and seven rebounds.
LeBron James’ three-pointer with 9:33 left in the second quarter gave the Lakers their largest lead, 50-30. After Morant sank a 5-foot floater on the next possession, Memphis chipped away at the lead. Desmond Bane hit a three-pointer with 9 seconds left to narrow the gap to 72-61. Jackson had only three points in the first half.
James finished with 25 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. The other half of the Lakersโ All-Star playmaking duo, Luka Donฤiฤ, scored 29 points, nearly posting a double-double with nine assists and eight rebounds. Donฤiฤ was acquired in a three-team trade deadline swap that sent former Laker forward Anthony Davis to Dallas.
Jackson, Memphisโ leading scorer, quickly asserted himself after halftime, scoring 13 of his 24 points in the third quarter. Memphis also found their range from three. After Jackson sank a 25-foot three-pointer on an assist from Bane with 11:12 to go, Bane hit two more consecutive three-pointers, the second of which cut the Lakers’ lead to 76-72.
“A lot of love for coach Jenkins. Iโm super appreciative for what he did for me. I talked to him yesterday. It was a deep conversation,” Bane said. “Tuomas is a good coach.”
Bane finished with a team-high 29 points, hitting 4 of 6 from three-point range. He also had six assists and two steals. Morant posted a double-double with 22 points and a game-high 10 assists.
A few minutes later, the Grizzlies briefly took the lead, 73-72, on another three-pointer from Bane. However, Reeves quickly regained it for the Lakers with a three-pointer of his own. Los Angeles outscored Memphis 23-18 in the quarter, taking a 102-91 advantage into the final period. The Lakers went on to outscore the Grizzlies 32-28 in the fourth.
“The goal is to win. It was encouraging after that lackluster start. We did a lot of things better in the second half. We had better on-ball pressure. We were better in our pick-and-roll defense. We didnโt allow easy offensive rebounds. We applied friction in the backcourt so they couldnโt get into their spots,” Iisalo said.
Both teams shot well. Memphis made 50 of 95 (52.5%) from the field, while the Lakers hit 45 of 89 (50.6%). Los Angeles had the edge from three, shooting 19 of 43 (44.2%) compared to Memphis’ 14 of 32 (43.8%).
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent came off the bench to hit four three-pointers in the first half, finishing with 15 points. Rui Hachimura added 14 points as a starter.
Iisalo faces another tough test Monday, March 31, when the Grizzlies host the Boston Celtics at the FedExForum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The defending NBA champions are currently second in the Eastern Conference with a 55-19 record. The teams have split the two games played this season. Memphis is 4-6 in its last 10 games and has eight remaining on its 2024-25 regular-season schedule.
