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LeBron James had a field day upon his return to the LA Lakers fold as the side notched up a 136-124 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum on Wednesday. James missed the away matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks but was available for the back-to-back contest, where they jetted back to the West to take on Memphis.
The 4x NBA champion recorded a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists as LA notched up their fifth straight win as their regular season reached an end.
Grizzlies rookie GG Jackson II was one of the players who took on James during the game and recalled his hilarious interaction with the Lakers forward while speaking to the media after the loss.
"Other than him [LeBron James] hitting fadeaways and f*****g us up, not really."
Jackson ended up with 10 points in 24 minutes after starting for the side on Wednesday. Desmond Bane led the hosts with 26 points and 16 assists. Jake LaRavia came off the bench to pour 25 points.
For the Lakers, it was Rui Hachmimura powering through the Grizzlies defense with 32 points and 10 rebounds. D'Angelo Russell added 23 points.
LeBron James talks about health as the Lakers' regular season inches to an end
The LA Lakers' win over the Memphis Grizzlies puts them at 41-32 — a mark that once looked impossible given their downward spiral in December. LA's one step forward, two steps back mantra was visible throughout the campaign this season and health proved to be a major reason behind their wobbly run.
The likes of Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent have missed a significant amount of games this season and the bench that boasted of depth and versatility was banged up.
Speaking to the media after the win on Wednesday, LeBron James spoke about the team managing injuries as the regular season heads to an end.
"Just being very smart with it, obviously. We are where we are. Our health has always been the most important thing for our ballclub."
James has played with a nagging ankle issue throughout the season, and has missed ten games in LA's 72 games so far. With ten games remaining, the 39-year-old will be expected to take the floor against some of the better-placed teams to maximize the team's chances of finishing at a higher seed.
LA and LeBron James have hit the road trip on the right note. They head back to the East Coast for a skirmish against the Indiana Pacers next.
Guess the Lakers players!
