MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Desmond Bane had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Ja Morant added 31 points and 10 boards, and the Memphis Grizzlies staved off elimination Wednesday night, April 26, beating the Lakers 116–99 to force their first-round Western Conference series back to Los Angeles.
Jaren Jackson Jr., the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who improved to 5–0 in Game 5s played in Memphis and cut the seventh-seeded Lakers’ series lead to 3–2. Memphis earned a second straight No. 2 seed by posting the NBA’s best home record at 35–6.
Game 6 is Friday night in Los Angeles.
LeBron James started 1 of 7 from the field but finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, a modest follow-up after the 38-year-old played 45 minutes in Monday night’s overtime win in Los Angeles and became the oldest player in NBA history to post at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in his 270th playoff game….