Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers

Monday's NBA regular season matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies will take place at the Crypto.com Arena. In the Western Conference, the Grizzlies (18-8) are in second place and the Lakers (13-12) are in eleventh place. Our prediction for the game is shown below.

Although the Los Angeles Lakers have shown inconsistent play in previous games, they still have aspirations to move up in the Western Conference going into this game.

The team recently suffered a 97-87 away loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and key player LeBron James was sidelined by the loss because of an ankle injury. This outcome meant that they had lost eight of their previous eleven games.

The last four games have been won by the Memphis Grizzlies. The most recent was a 135-119 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at FedExForum. Desmond Bane scored 21 points, Santi Aldama scored 20, and Ja Morant scored 28.

The LA Lakers lost their most recent game. They lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 97-87 at Target Center while traveling. Max Christie scored 15 points, Austin Reaves scored 18, and Anthony Davis scored 23 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.

The Lakers prevailed in their most recent meeting at Crypto.com Arena. winning by a score of 128-123 over the Grizzlies. Seven of the last ten head-to-head encounters have been won by the Lakers.

The Lakers are ahead 67-41 in the head-to-head series. On November 13, 2024, the Lakers recently defeated the Grizzlies 128-123 at home. Prior to that, on November 6, 2024, at the FedEx Forum, the Grizzlies defeated the Lakers 131-114. The Lakers have defeated the Grizzlies 6-4 in their last ten meetings, including 4-1 in their last five home games.

The Grizzlies are returning this season and doing well after a terrible 2022–2023 campaign marred by injuries. Ja Morant has produced when he has been on the floor, and everyone has amazingly remained in quite good health. For this team, which suffered greatly the previous season, it has been a comeback. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been playing well, while Desmond Bane has also been healthy.

Morant shoots 46.3 percent from the field and leads the Grizzlies with 22.1 points and 8.6 assists per game. Jackson, meanwhile, is shooting 51.2 percent from the field and scoring 21.8 points per game on average. Bane scores 14.8 points a game on average. Similarly, Aldama is shooting 52.6 percent from the field and averaging 13.5 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.

Anthony Davis explained what went wrong in the Lakers' second defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in ten days. Regretfully, LeBron James was not present for another evening. Like the New York Knicks, the Lakers are a club that has a lot of guards and smaller players, but they don't have the big man to dominate the boards.

The Lakers' struggles, highlighted by their recent performance, emphasize ongoing issues with efficiency and rebounding. Austin Reaves' 18-point return from a pelvis injury is promising, but inconsistent shooting from key players like D'Angelo Russell (2-for-10) and Rui Hachimura (4-for-13) underscores the team's offensive challenges. The rookie Dalton Knecht showed flashes of potential but had a quiet outing with six points on 2-for-5 shooting.

The team's overall shooting slump—38.4% from the floor—reveals a broader issue. Ranked 10th in field-goal percentage, 20th in three-point shooting, and 14th in free-throw percentage, the Lakers are struggling to find consistent offensive rhythm. Their inability to capitalize on second-chance opportunities due to their 27th rank in rebounding further exacerbates the problem.

Defensively, their rank of 20th in blocked shots reflects a need for more interior presence and rim protection. However, their improved ball-handling, ranking seventh in turnovers, is a bright spot, showcasing better care of possessions.

For the Lakers to turn their season around, they’ll need more consistency in shooting, better rebounding efforts, and a stronger defensive presence.