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LeBron James and his chase-down blocks have resulted in some iconic moments in the NBA, and he has rightfully seen some block mixtapes on YouTube. However, he had a rare miss when he chased down former LA Lakers guard Scotty Pippen Jr.
His father, Scottie Pippen, who was at the FedEx Forum, loved how his son's explosiveness deterred the 4x NBA champion from executing his block. Yet, the feat wasn't enough, as the Memphis Grizzlies were edged out 123-120 on Friday.
With 7:14 left in the fourth quarter, Pippen Jr. barreled to the rim with Austin Reaves in front of him, while D'Angelo Russell and James closed in on him from behind. The guard went airborne, as did James, but the latter missed thwacking the ball off the young gun's hands.
The Chicago Bulls legend was a man all smiles as he watched his son get past James and record a bucket to take the Grizzlies closer.
Pippen Jr. went unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft and inked a two-way contract with the LA Lakers that July. He split time with the franchise's G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers. In September 2023, he re-signed with LA on an Exhibit 10 contract but was waived in October. Ahead of the start of the 2023-24 season, he signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies.
On the game front, he made the starting five as the designated point guard and had a field day with 28 points, five rebounds, and six assists in 30 minutes of action. This season has been more fruitful for Pippen Jr., averaging 12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
As for the skirmish against the Lakers, the Grizzlies were downed by LeBron James (37 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists) and Anthony Davis (36 points and 14 rebounds).
LeBron James and the Lakers clinch play-in spot
The win against the Memphis Grizzlies does little to see LeBron James and the Lakers get past the eighth seed. The victory sees them improve their record to 46-35 and take the eighth spot for the time being.
Two other teams in the fray — the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings- are battling for the spot and are in the middle of their matchups against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns, respectively.
The Lakers have one game remaining and will take on the Pelicans on April 14 at the Smoothie King Center. At best, they can hope to win on Sunday night and lock horns with either the Dubs or the Kings in the play-in if these teams blow their remaining slate of games. Only time will tell if LeBron James and Anthony Davis can lead LA to the postseason.
Guess the Lakers players!
