Lakers vs. Grizzlies Preview and Game Thread: Looking to make it five games in a row

The Lakers look to stay undefeated on their current road trip and win their fifth straight game for the first time this season.

After an incredible comeback victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, the Lakers won’t have much time to recover as they take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. This will be their 13th back-to-back game of the season and third of four games against the Grizzlies, who they will see twice in the next two weeks.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies

When: 5 p.m. PT, Mar 27

Where: FedExForum

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet

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If the Lakers want to beat the Grizzlies on Wednesday, they might want to make sure to attack the game better than they did against the Bucks on Tuesday. Yes, their wild late comeback was a treat to watch but at the risk of sounding like a party pooper, it wasn’t ideal given that L.A. will be on the second night of a back-to-back on the road.

Put another way, it would be great if the Lakers can control the game early versus the Grizzlies.

There’s a good chance that L.A. can do just that given that Memphis is an inferior opponent compared to a healthy Bucks team. That’s not to say that playing the Grizzlies will be a walk in the park, but the Lakers should take advantage of a team that hasn’t really been healthy and never found their groove all season.

Without Ja Morant and Marcus Smart for most of the year, the Grizzlies have fallen to 30th in offensive rating this season. They’ve been averaging just 105.9 points a game and, on top of that, are a bottom-tier rebounding team.

But in fairness to them, their defense is 11th in the league, so that always gives them a chance to win games. The Lakers will have to keep an eye out for Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane in Wednesday’s matchup.

This game is going to be tough for the Lakers simply because the Grizzlies will have the rest advantage and will be at home. It feels like such a trap game. Hopefully, the Lakers get a boost from a rested LeBron James, who according to TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, is expected to return back to the lineup against the Grizzlies.

The key for the Lakers in this one is their offense, which will have to come once again from several members of the team. That’s how they were able to outplay the Bucks and is, most likely, the formula to beat this Grizzlies team and the fatigue they’re going to battle as well. It’s about time the Lakers take advantage of their current momentum, unlike their previous thrilling victory in overtime.

The Lakers have the opportunity to make it five wins a row, which is crucial given that they can still improve their chances of clinching a more ideal spot in the standings. With the hardest task of the road trip successfully done, the purple and gold have to build off one of the best victories of the season.

Let’s see if the Lakers can stay undefeated in their current road trip and make it five games in a row as they look to conquer the Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Notes and Updates:

• As it has been the case during back-to-back games this season, the Lakers will only release an injury report hours before Wednesday’s match. Anthony Davis, who played 51 minutes on Tuesday and was grimacing late in the contest, will most likely be a game-time decision. Christian Wood (left knee effusion), Gabe Vincent (left knee surgery), Jarred Vanderbilt (right midfoot sprain), Jalen Hood-Schfino (back disc surgery) and Collin Castleton (right wrist fracture) are expected to be out.
• As for the Grizzlies, Brandon Clarke (left Achilles) could make his return after being sidelined with an Achilles injury for the past year.
• However, the Grizzlies’ injury report stays longer than a grocery list as Ja Morant (right shoulder surgery), Marcus Smart (right finger), Luke Kennard (personal reasons) Yuta Watanabe (personal reasons), Zaire Williams (right lower back) and Derrick Rose (right groin) are expected to be out. John Konchar (right heel soreness) and Vince Williams (left patellar) are doubtful.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani