LeBron James, Lakers work OT to beat Grizzlies, take 3-1 series lead

LOS ANGELES-- The Crypto.com Arena court was no location for the faint of heart Monday night.

The Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies restored their hostilities in Game 4 of their significantly controversial first-round playoff series, with bodies flying around the court at breakneck speed and with every ownership objected to as if it might be the last among the 2022-23 season.

The popular 48 minutes were not enough to decide what loomed as an essential game, with LeBron James sending the game to overtime with a driving layup with 0.8 seconds staying in regulation after the Grizzlies' Desmond Bane had actually put them ahead with a layup with 6.7 seconds left.

James then sealed the handle the extra duration with a driving layup and a flex, moving the Lakers to a 117-111 success and a 3-1 series lead with the last of his 22 points. James' basket sent out the crowd into a craze with 29.4 seconds remaining and topped a video game in which he had a career-high 20 rebounds and seven assists in 45 minutes.

Dennis Schröder and Austin Reaves buried two complimentary tosses each to seal the Lakers' 12th win in 15 video games dating to the regular season.

Reaves had a team-leading 23 points for the Lakers. D'Angelo Russell had 17, doing some of his finest work of the series with a trio of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter before fouling out.

Bane led Memphis with 36 points.

The Lakers sent the best-of-seven series back to Memphis with a possibility to close it out in Game 5 on Wednesday night at FedEx Forum. The winner proceeds to play the winner of the Golden State-Sacramento series in the second round.

The Grizzlies had absolutely no interest in returning home with zero margin for mistake. They lost Game 1 on their house court prior to rebounding to win Game 2. They were then run the flooring in the opening minutes of Game 3 inside a raucous Crypto.com Arena and were never in the game.

Each of the 4 video games has actually played out differently in terms of tone and feel. The techniques have actually mainly remained the very same, with the Lakers attempting to get the most out of their supporting cast and the Grizzlies trying to guarantee James and Anthony Davis don't shred them.

When it denied Davis the necessary time and area near the basket, Memphis was at its finest. The Lakers were at their best when they made certain to get Davis included early and with the ball in his hands in the right locations at the right times. It was a battle for both teams at times.

The Lakers missed their first 6 shots and routed 6-0 to begin Game 4.

Suboptimal, to state the least.

If you had actually Jarred Vanderbilt as the Lakers' prominent scorer with 10 points by the end of the very first quarter on your bingo card, well, congratulations. The Lakers, sparked by Vanderbilt's border shooting, found their rhythm and confidence in due course and led easily for most of the very first half.

They constructed a 15-point lead late in the 2nd quarter despite getting just two points from Davis on 0-for-5 shooting. They appeared poised for a double-digit lead by halftime, but the Grizzlies unexpectedly got hot, going on a 14-1 go to close the half and pulling within 54-52.

Vanderbilt, James and Austin Reaves each had 11 points in the very first half for the Lakers. James didn't attempt a shot up until the final moments of the first quarter, finally attempting and making a 3-pointer that offered the Lakers a 29-23 lead and brought the sellout crowd of 18,997 to its feet.

Vanderbilt averaged 4.0 points in the very first 3 video games of the series and was scoreless on 0-for-1 shooting in the Lakers' victory in Game 3 on Saturday. Davis, averaging 22 points, didn't make his first shot in Game 4 till hitting a hook in the paint in the opening moments of the third quarter.

The Lakers managed to hold the Grizzlies' Ja Morant in look for most of the early minutes after he torched them for 45 points in Game 3, consisting of an incredible 22 in a row in the 4th quarter at one point. Morant had just 7 points on 3-for-9 shooting in the first half of Game 4, but the Grizzlies had a more balanced offense.

Regardless of the Lakers' periodic flashes of sparkle, the game was very much up for grabs heading into the second half. The Lakers had actually staggered the Grizzlies by developing a 35-9 after the first quarter of Game 3, however that was a distant memory as the groups returned to the Crypt for Game 4.

The Lakers rose back from a seven-point deficit with 5 minutes left in guideline with a rally that suddenly started when Russell hit three successive 3-pointers, and the Lakers never ever routed in OT.

More to come on this story.