Lakers guard Austin Reaves handles the ball as the Memphis Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant looks for an opening as Lakers guard Gabe Vincent defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell shoots as Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant shoots as Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, and Lakers forward LeBron James, right, defend during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Lakers star LeBron James, right, defends the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
The Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. handles the ball in front of the Lakers’ Cam Reddish, right, and Gabe Vincent during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell drives as the Memphis Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, left, and Lakers center Christian Koloko battle for a rebound during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes dunks during the first half of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant drives as Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Lakers star LeBron James defends against Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, right, reacts in front of Laker star LeBron James during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Lakers star LeBron James handles the ball as the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. James had 39 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 131-114 loss. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. drives as Lakers guard Gabe Vincent defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. drives as Lakers center Christian Koloko defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant looks to pass the ball as Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, right, defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama shoots as Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
The Memphis Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. drives to the basket as Lakers guard Gabe Vincent defends during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Lakers star LeBron James drives to the basket against the Memphis Grizzlies’ Santi Aldama during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. James had 39 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 131-114 loss. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. grabs a rebound in front of Lakers guard Austin Reaves, back, and teammates Jaylen Wells (0) and Zach Edey, right, during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, right, blocks a shot by Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, center, from behind with help on defense from Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia, left, during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Lakers forward LeBron James reacts during a pause in play in the second half of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant reacts during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Lakers forward LeBron James, center, shoots as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., left, and Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke defend during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff reacts after scoring as Lakers star LeBron James, back, looks on during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Lakers forward LeBron James, left, defends Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr., left, swipes the ball from Lakers forward LeBron James as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia, right, defends during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Lakers star LeBron James talks with the referee as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., right, looks on during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant drives the lane in front of Lakers star LeBron James, left, during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant gets to the basket in front of Lakers center Christian Koloko, right, during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
El escolta de los Grizzlies de Memphis, Ja Morant (12), busca un pase defendido por el pívot de los Lakers de Los Ángeles, Jaxson Hayes (11), en la primera mitad el miércoles 6 de noviembre de 2024, en Memphis, Tennessee. (AP Foto/Nikki Boertman)
Lakers guard Max Christie, left, Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr., center, and Jaren Jackson Jr., right, tangle for a loose ball during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, left, talks with teammate Desmond Bane after Morant exited with an injury during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
The Memphis Grizzlies’ Yuki Kawamura handles the ball as Lakers rookie Bronny James defends during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Bronny James, right, defends Memphis Grizzlies guard Yuki Kawamura during the second half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
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Lakers guard Austin Reaves handles the ball as the Memphis Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Anthony Davis’ value for the Lakers was clear well before Wednesday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
But just in case there were any doubts, the Lakers’ 131-114 loss, which dropped them to 4-4 overall and 1-4 on their road trip, was a reminder.
Playing without their All-Star big man, who was sidelined with a bruised left heel, in addition to starting forward Rui Hachimura, was always going to be an uphill battle for the Lakers. Especially since they’re already without Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood, stripping the Lakers of most of their frontcourt size.
And the Grizzlies (5-4) made the Lakers pay for playing undersized, dominating the interior all night at FedEx Forum. Memphis scored 60 points in the paint, had 15 second-chance points off of 12 offensive rebounds and scored 27 fastbreak points.
“At the end of the day, especially when you lose bodies, you got to compete,” LeBron James said. “You got to compete even harder. You got to be out there giving it everything that you got and on both ends. There were times that we did that but the majority of the time, I don’t think we sustained energy and effort.”
The Lakers competed with the Grizzlies behind the strong offensive play of James, who scored a season-high 39 points on 15-of-24 shooting to go with seven rebounds and six assists.
“Biggest thing that stood out: he played hard,” Coach JJ Redick said. “Almost 40 years old and played the hardest on our team. It says a lot about him.”
No other Laker consistently found an offensive rhythm.
The Lakers shot 15 for 48 from 3-point range, with James going 6 for 11, and 44.1% (41 for 93) from the field.
Austin Reaves (19 points, five assists), D’Angelo Russell (12 points, three assists) and rookie Dalton Knecht (three points) made just five of their combined 25 3-point attempts.
Those misses, especially early, turned into fast-break opportunities for the Grizzlies – an area of weakness for the Lakers and a strength for Memphis.
“We have to be better with basically every aspect of the game,” Reaves said of Redick’s postgame message. “But the main thing just competing and following the gameplan. They lay out good stuff for us to go execute, and we just haven’t done that on this trip. And we got to go home, look [ourselves] in the mirror and do better.”
Knecht left the game in the fourth quarter, holding his jaw/mouth as he went to the bench and the locker room. He didn’t require postgame X-rays.
Russell didn’t play in the final 18½ minutes and played a season-low 22 minutes.
“Just level of compete, attention to detail, some of the things we’ve talked with him about for a couple of weeks,” Redick responded when asked about Russell’s diminished playing time. “And at times he’s been really good with that stuff. And other times, it’s just reverting back to certain habits.
“But it wasn’t like a punishment. It just felt for us to have a chance to win this game, that was the route we wanted to take. Gabe [Vincent] in the first half, especially defensively, was fantastic. And I just wanted to see what that looked like.”
The Grizzlies were led by star guard Ja Morant (20 points, five assists), who left the game late in the third after coming up limping and calling for a timeout after an errant alley-oop attempt. The Grizzlies said his return to the game was doubtful because of a right hamstring issue.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jaylen Wells also had 20 points apiece for Memphis.
Cam Reddish, in the Lakers’ rotation for the second consecutive game after an impressive performance in Monday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons, finished with a season-high 15 points to go with six rebounds in 26 minutes.
Former Lakers two-way contract players Jay Huff (11 points) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (14 points, six rebounds, four assists) were impactful for Memphis off the bench.
The Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
“Something that we’ve discussed as a group: you have a choice every night for how you play and it has nothing to do with making shots,” Redick said was his main takeaway from the trip. “There’s got to be a group of people, seven, eight guys, that make that choice. And we’re a really good basketball team. [When] we have a handful, we have two or three, we’re not gonna be a good basketball team that night. That’s just the reality.”