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The Memphis Grizzlies face a tough road trip when they travel to the champions' house on Friday to play the LA Lakers.
The LA Lakers are coming off the back of three straight overtime wins to stretch their winning streak to 6 and have LeBron James playing at MVP-esque levels. Memphis, meanwhile, arrested a four-game slide on Wednesday night when they blew out Charlotte with 7 players scoring in double digits.
The Memphis Grizzlies will be relying on Ja Morant to return to his pre-injury form if they are to get anything out of this tie. Anthony Davis is expected to be back for the LA Lakers, which could spell trouble for the Grizzlies' inexperienced squad.
Memphis Grizzlies vs LA Lakers Injury Updates
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies fans have had to try hard not to read too much into their recent dip in form given their side's youthfulness and the fact they have struggled all season with injuries.
Justice Winslow, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jontay Porter are all long-term absentees for the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, De'Anthony Melton, Brandon Clarke, Killian Tillie and Sean McDermott are all listed as day-to-day prior to the matchup with the LA Lakers and at the time of writing are questionable to take the floor.
LA Lakers
The LA Lakers injury report is far more straightforward prior to the fixture, with only Anthony Davis and Alex Caruso listed as questionable for the matchup. Jared Dudley and Kostas Antetokounmpo are sidelined through long-term injuries, though both see few minutes as it is.
Fans of the reigning champions will hope to see Davis back on the floor as the Lakers edged out a young OKC side twice in overtime in his absence. Though Davis is yet to return to his form of last season, he is one of the league's best end-to-end players and was presumably rested against the Thunder out of precaution, given their lower standing in the conference table.
Memphis Grizzlies vs LA Lakers Predicted Lineups
Memphis Grizzlies
Since star guard Ja Morant's return from injury, the Memphis Grizzlies have had to adjust their starting lineup on multiple occasions. Jonas Valanciunas was sidelined for some time, and regular starting forward Brandon Clarke is out as well.
Coach Jenkins is likely to stick with the same starting 5 that blew out the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, all of whom scored double digit points. Although not quite hitting the same form he possessed prior to his injury, Ja Morant has been electric for the Memphis Grizzlies and grabbed another double-double against Charlotte with 18 points and 11 assists.
Kyle Anderson had an extremely efficient night on Wednesday, scoring 27 points on 24 minutes while Valanciunas secured a 12-15-3 double-double.
LA Lakers
At the time of writing, it is unclear if Anthony Davis will return to the floor for the LA Lakers on Friday night. His replacement may again be Kyle Kuzma who is playing some of his best basketball as a facilitator. Kuzma grabbed 9 rebounds along with 15 points against OKC on Wednesday after his double-double from the bench on Monday night.
LeBron James has been leading the LA Lakers through their 6-game winning streak and is currently the frontrunner for the MVP award. In the backcourt, the Lakers have two extremely efficient guards in KCP and Dennis Schroder. The German point guard leads the Lakers' defense from the front while KCP is averaging a career-high 44% from the 3-point line.
The Lakers have also benefitted from bolstering their squad depth, with new signings Montrezl Harrell and Wesley Matthews combining for 30 points on Wednesday.
Memphis Grizzlies vs LA Lakers - Predicted Starting 5's
Memphis Grizzlies
G Ja Morant, G Desmond Bane, F Dillon Brooks, F Kyle Anderson, C Jonas Valanciunas
LA Lakers
G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Dennis Schroder, F Kyle Kuzma, F LeBron James, C Marc Gasol
Guess the Lakers players!
