Lakers’ late rally falls short against the Grizzlies, 108-103

After a lackluster first half, the Lakers rallied against the Memphis Grizzlies but it wasn’t enough to steal a victory on the road.

Playing their second game on back-to-back nights, the Lakers fell behind by as many as 22 points before rallying to within three, 106-103, with 14.9 seconds left on a long Jordan Farmar three-point shot.

In the final moments, Courtney Lee hit a pair of free throws and Wesley Johnson missed a wild three-point attempt as the Lakers fell, 108-103.

Jodie Meeks was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Six Lakers hit double figures, including Johnson (18), Pau Gasol (17), Farmar (16), MarShon Brooks (14) and Kent Bazemore (14).

Memphis shot 48.9% from the field and finished with an 11-rebound advantage, 45-34.

Lee led the Grizzlies with 18 points. Zach Randolph needed 14 shot attempts to score 13 points.

Both Gasol brothers notched double-doubles. Marc Gasol scored 14 points with 12 rebounds and five assists. Pau Gasol had 10 rebounds and three assists.

The Lakers shot 49.4% from the field and 53.6% from three-point range (15 of 28). Johnson and Farmar both hit four apiece.

Johnson also blocked four shots, but the Lakers’ defense was otherwise porous in the first half, giving up 65 points. Memphis scored a more reasonable 43 points in the second half while the Lakers rallied for 57.

Kendall Marshall missed all six of his shot attempts but dished eight assists in 24 minutes. Mike Conley was quiet for the Grizzlies, scoring only seven points with three assists and three turnovers.

The Lakers (19-39) return home to play the Sacramento Kings (20-37) on Friday at Staples Center.

The Grizzlies (32-24) will next visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-15), also on Friday.

Grizzlies 82, Lakers 73 (end of third quarter)

The Lakers rallied in the third quarter, producing a 17-4 run to get back into the game in Memphis after a poor first half.

Jodie Meeks has scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting while MarShon Brooks has 14 off the bench without missing a shot.

The Grizzlies are shooting 51.4% from the field. Marc Gasol has notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lakers improved their shooting to 49.1% from the field but have struggled handling the ball, committing 14 turnovers. The Grizzlies had six third-quarter turnovers and 10 for the game.

Grizzlies 65, Lakers 46 (halftime)

The Grizzlies had an easy half against the Lakers, taking a 19-point lead into the break.

Courtney Lee and Tony Allen each scored 11 points as the Grizzlies shot 57.1% from the field and committed only four turnovers.

The Lakers had 10 turnovers in the half while shooting 43.2% from the field.

Wesley Johnson leads the Lakers with 12 points. MarShon Brooks has scored nine without missing a shot on three attempts.

Johnson also blocked four shots in 19 1/2 minutes, otherwise the Lakers didn’t do much defensively.

Grizzlies 31, Lakers 23 (end of first quarter)

Wesley Johnson scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting to lead all scorers, but the Lakers still finished the first quarter down by eight points to the Memphis Grizzlies.

As a team, the Lakers shot 56.3% from the field and 40% from three-point range (2 of 5) but turned the ball over six times.

Memphis had four scorers with five points each (Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Courtney Lee and Tayshaun Prince). The Grizzlies also shot well, making 54.5% of their shots from the field and 60% from long range (3 of 5).

PregameThe Lakers (19-38) go from playing the defensive-minded Indiana Pacers (43-13) on Tuesday to the defensive-minded Memphis Grizzlies (31-24) on Wednesday.

The ninth-place Grizzlies are making a playoff push while the Lakers are gaining in the NBA draft lottery chase.

The Lakers will play without Kobe Bryant (knee), Steve Nash (nerve root irritation), Nick Young (knee) and Xavier Henry (knee).

For a more in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies.

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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.