Anthony Davis scores 40 points as Lakers thrash Grizzlies
Wednesday 30 October 2019 07:29, UK
Anthony Davis scored 40 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in 31 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers used a third-quarter burst to roll past the Memphis Grizzlies 120-91 on Tuesday night.
Memphis Grizzlies 91-120 Los Angeles Lakers
Anthony Davis scored 40 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in 31 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers used a third-quarter burst to roll past the Memphis Grizzlies 120-91 on Tuesday night.
Davis set a franchise record for free throws made by hitting 26-of-27 attempts, converting 18 in the third quarter to spark a 22-0 run that allowed the Lakers to blow away the Grizzlies. Memphis failed to score in the final 5:47 of the third.
Davis, who was 7-of-17 from the floor, played despite a sore shoulder he hurt in Sunday's win over the Charlotte Hornets. He exhibited discomfort throughout the game but played through it.
LeBron James had 23 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who won their third consecutive contest. Avery Bradley added 12 points.
Rookie point guard Ja Morant scored 16 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Grayson Allen scored 13 points.
The Grizzlies jumped out to a 15-2 advantage after a three-point play by Dillon Brooks at 9:16 of the first quarter. However, the Lakers used a 23-12 surge to cut the deficit to 27-25 after Davis slammed home an alley-oop pass from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who finished with 13 points, with 48.6 seconds remaining in the first. The Grizzlies led 32-27 to end the quarter.
Davis scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the first.
In the second quarter, both teams struggled offensively. Davis, though, converted a driving bucket to end the half to lift the Lakers to a 49-47 lead.
Both clubs were awful in three-point shooting in the first half with the Lakers misfiring on 12 of their 13 attempts. The Grizzles were 3-of-15.
For the game, Los Angeles hit 46.5 per cent of their field goals to 32.6 per cent for Memphis.
Atlanta Hawks 97-112 Miami Heat
In a game marred by an injury to star Atlanta point guard Trae Young, the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler defeated the visiting Hawks 112-97.
Atlanta's John Collins led all scorers with 30 points. Miami rookie Tyler Herro had 19 of his 29 points in the second quarter and Butler - making his Heat debut - added 21 points. Goran Dragic also had 21 points for Miami.
Young, who entered the game ranked second in the NBA in scoring (34.0) and tied for fifth in assists (9.0), injured his right ankle with 9.57 left in the second quarter and did not return.
After getting tangled up with Justise Winslow, Young left the court in pain and with just five points in 11 minutes. Shortly after the injury, the Hawks announced Young sustained a sprained right ankle and would not return to the game.
ESPN reported that X-rays taken immediately after Young left the court were negative and that the team are optimistic the injury is not serious. According to the report, Young will undergo an MRI exam soon.
Atlanta trailed 36-31 when Young got hurt and couldn't adequately compete without him, scoring a season-low 97 points.
Butler, Miami's biggest offseason acquisition, missed the Heat's first three games following the birth of his daughter. But on the first touch of his Heat career, Butler drove and scored on a lay-up. He had 12 points 4-for-4 shooting in the first quarter.
The Heat led 29-26 after the first quarter then using an 11-0 run that began midway through the second quarter, extended their lead to 59-49 at half-time, and stretched it to 88-70 after three quarters.
Atlanta never got closer than 11 in the fourth quarter.
Dallas Mavericks 109-106 Denver Nuggets
Tim Hardaway Jr and Maxi Kleber scored 14 points apiece off the bench and Kristaps Porzingis had 10 points and 14 rebounds as the visiting Dallas Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets 109-106.
Luka Doncic was held to 12 points but nine Mavericks players scored in double figures in handing the Nuggets their first loss of the season.
Paul Millsap had 23 points and eight rebounds, Will Barton had 19 points and 11 boards and Nikola Jokic had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Denver.
Jamal Murray and Gary Harris had 16 points each for the Nuggets, who lost the lead two minutes into the fourth quarter and never recovered.
Hardaway opened the fourth with his third three-pointer to cut the lead to two, and after Mason Plumlee stretched it back to four, Jalen Brunson's lay-up brought the Mavs to within two.
Delon Wright then converted a three-point play and a lay-up and, when Dorian Finney-Smith put home a driving dunk, Dallas were up 95-92 with less than nine minutes to play.
Brunson hit a lay-up and a free throw, Porzingis' bank shot put him in double figures and Hardaway's fourth 3-pointer gave Dallas a 103-94 lead with seven minutes to play.
Murray answered with a step-back 18-footer and Millsap's offensive rebound and three-pointer - his fourth of the night - pulled the Nuggets within 103-99 with 5:11 left.
After Doncic split a pair of free throws Millsap's follow slam cut Dallas' lead to 104-101. After each team had a couple of empty possessions, Kleber, who had seven rebounds, converted a three-point play to push the lead to six.
Millsap hit a layup and Harris a corner three-pointer to make it 107-106 with 1:40 left.
Kleber was called for goaltending on Murray's lay-up with 1:05 left but the Mavericks challenged and it was reversed.
Doncic hit a driving lay-up to make it 109-106 with 47.1 seconds left and Jokic lost the ball out of bounds with 29.2 seconds left. Doncic had a chance to seal it but missed two free throws with 26 seconds left.
The Nuggets got the ball and called a timeout to set up a play. Murray's three-point attempt with 3.8 seconds left missed everything and the Mavericks ran out the clock.
