Jock Landale impressed with a double-double including a particularly dominant first half. But it was quickly outshone by Luka Doncic’s 36-point near triple-double in the Lakers’ comeback win.
Landale scored all 13 of his points in the first half and added 10 rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes in the Grizzlies’ 120-114 fadeout loss in Los Angeles on Monday (all times AEDT).
The Aussie very much made his mark on the game early in a matchup with former No. 1 pick and ex-Suns teammate De’Andre Ayton.
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Landale racked up six points with three offensive rebounds in the opening six minutes of the game.
He had 13 points and six rebounds to the main break, with Memphis leading 65-45 in enemy territory.
But the Lakers came surging back into the game in the second half including a dominant 37-27 fourth quarter to cruise to victory in the end.
Doncic led the way with 36 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and LeBron James (26 points, 10 assists) and Jake LaRavia (26 points) also came up big.
Ayton finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
It marked the Lakers’ third win from their last four games — including consecutive victories over Memphis — in a period they’ve been without Austin Reaves. JJ Redick’s team improved to 22-11 to sit third in the Western Conference.
The undermanned Grizzlies, missing the likes of Zach Edey and Ja Morant, suffered a fourth-straight loss in a game Cedric Coward (ankle) exited early to add to their woes.
The loss saw Memphis dip to 15-20 overall.
In Washington, Joe Ingles scored his first points of the season in a milestone moment his teammates loved.
Ingles in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s 141-115 domination over the Wizards scored on a drive to the rim in just his third field goal attempt of the campaign.
Some members of the Wolves bench immediately stood up and cheered on their veteran teammate breaking his scoring drought.
And in classic Ingles fashion, he appeared to engage with some cheeky banter with the Wizards bench afterwards.
The win saw the Timberwolves improve to 23-13 and sit half a game behind the Lakers in the West’s No. 3 seed.
In other results, a Devin Booker game-winner saw the Phoenix Suns down the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-105.
Booker scored a team-high 24 — including that epic go-ahead three with the scores tied at 105-105 with 0.7 remaining in the fourth quarter — as the Suns rallied from being down 18 late in the second quarter.
It handed OKC just its sixth loss of the season as Phoenix improved to 21-14.
Elsewhere, Cade Cunningham scored 27 points and reserve Daniss Jenkins delivered a dazzling 25 as NBA Eastern Conference leaders Detroit held off Cleveland 114-110.
Down three key contributors in Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren and Caris LeVert, the Pistons came up with a big win against a Cavaliers team that had taken 13 of the prior 14 clashes between the two teams.
Star guard Cunningham added six rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a blocked shot. But Jenkins stole the show with a monster 21-point second quarter in which he made all seven of his shots — including six three-pointers.
“My teammates were just finding me and I was open,” said Jenkins, who is playing on a two-way contract.
“I was given space and the key to the game was (if) you’ve got an open shot, you’ve got to shoot.
“They packed the paint a lot, so I just stepped into it with confidence and let it slide.”
Daniels helps Hawks upset Knicks | 01:27
The Pistons outscored the Cavs 47-28 in the period to seize control, erasing an early nine-point deficit to take a 10-point lead into halftime.
The Cavs, led by 30 points from Donovan Mitchell, whittled a 13-point deficit to two with 1:16 remaining and were within two again with 3.8 seconds left, but Jenkins made two free throws to seal it.
Detroit were a perfect 21-for-21 from the free-throw line, Cunningham making 11 and Jenkins five as they pushed their Eastern Conference lead over the New York Knicks to three games.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers matched a franchise record for futility with their 12th straight defeat, falling 135-127 to the Magic in Orlando.
The Pacers have been a shadow of the team that fell in last season’s NBA Finals, with a string of players hit by injuries since star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the championship series that will cost him all of this campaign.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 34 points, but the Magic — led by 31 points from Desmond Bane — seized control with a 17-0 run in the second quarter and held on in the face of a late Pacers surge.
The Pacers have now dropped 12 straight for the fourth time in franchise history and the first time since 1989.
Aussie Johnny Furphy started for the Pacers and put up two points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal in 13 minutes.
ALL RESULTS
Pistons 114 Cavaliers 110
Pacers 127 Magic 135
Nuggets 115 Nets 127
Pelicans 106 Heat 125
Timberwolves 141 Wizards 115
Thunder 105 Suns 108
Bucks 114 Kings 98
Grizzlies 114 Lakers 120
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