Lakers lose second home game in eight days, falling to Grizzlies

By Ben Bolch

March 25, 2012 12 AM PT

The Lakers lost two home games over the season’s first 12 weeks.

It took them only eight days to suffer their next two defeats at Staples Center.

The slumping Memphis Grizzlies took a sizable bite out of the team that no longer holds the NBA’s best home record, pulling away from the Lakers during a 102-96 victory Sunday.

The Lakers wiped out a 14-point deficit in the third quarter before succumbing to a fourth-quarter run by the re-energized Grizzlies.

There was an odd development midway through the fourth quarter when Lakers Coach Mike Brown benched Kobe Bryant for about four minutes after Bryant pounded the bench in frustration during a timeout. Bryant finished with 18 points, making seven of 14 shots.

Rudy Gay had 18 points and O.J. Mayo added 16 off the bench for Memphis, which had lost five of its previous six games.

Andrew Bynum had 30 points, making 11 of 16 shots and his first three-pointer of the season, and Pau Gasol finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers.

The Lakers’ bench didn’t account for much, contributing only nine points.

Grizzlies reserve Zach Randolph had more than that himself, scoring 10 points. Memphis’ bench combined for 41 points.

Grizzlies 73, Lakers 70 (end of third quarter)

It was a quarter of wild momentum swings, with the Lakers facing their biggest home deficit of the season only to wipe it out and then find themselves trailing again.

The Lakers used a 15-0 run to erase a 14-point deficit that was the largest they had faced this season at Staples Center before Memphis closed out the quarter with an 8-4 push to retake the lead.

Kobe Bryant had a big third quarter, scoring 11 points while making all four of his shots. He has 16 points for the game.

Andrew Bynum has 20 points and Pau Gasol has 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers.

Rudy Gay leads Memphis with 18 points.

Grizzlies 56, Lakers 46 (halftime)

Memphis arrived at Staples Center having lost five of its last six games, a skid that started with a double-overtime home loss against the Lakers on March 13.

The Grizzlies hardly looked like a team in disarray in the first half, appearing more aggressive and exhibiting better ball movement than the Lakers in building a 10-point halftime lead.

Rudy Gay has 13 points and Mike Conley 11 for the Grizzlies, who are shooting 50% to the Lakers’ 38.5%.

Andrew Bynum has 16 points on six-for-eight shooting and Pau Gasol has eight points and eight rebounds, but Kobe Bryant hasn’t done much for the Lakers. Bryant has five points on two-for-seven shooting.

Lakers point guard Ramon Sessions has 11 points, including a buzzer-beating running jumper, and three assists. The Lakers’ bench has again been a weakness, with Matt Barnes’ three points accounting for all of the reserves’ scoring.

The Lakers, who won 19 of their first 21 home games, could be on the brink of losing at Staples Center for the second time in a week.

Grizzlies 28, Lakers 24 (end of first quarter)

The Lakers are getting a look at a potential playoff matchup and seeing why Memphis could be a tough out.

The Grizzlies closed the first quarter on a 10-2 run to take an early four-point lead over the Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center.

Rudy Gay has nine points, including the most impressive move of the quarter when he drove the lane for a ferocious one-handed dunk.

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant also contributed to the highlight reel with an alley-oop pass to Andrew Bynum that resulted in a mammoth dunk. Bynum leads the Lakers with eight points, while Pau Gasol has six points and six rebounds.

Bryant had a quiet first quarter, scoring three points on one-for-four shooting.

Marc Gasol has some catching up to do in the brotherly battle, finishing the quarter with two points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

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