It was a closely fought, highly competitive game on Wednesday night as two Western Conference rivals faced off for their first matchup of the season. The Lakers, who began the night at 6-4, pulled away with the clutch win in this one, winning by a narrow margin (128-123) to tie for 6th in the standings.

Starting with the Lakers, LeBron James led all scorers with 35 points (13-22), 12 assists, and 10 rebounds per game on 57.9% shooting and 4-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Anthony Davis finished with 21 points (6-16 FG) and 14 rebounds in the paint while Rookie Dalton Knecht dropped 19 points off the bench, going a perfect 5-5 from three.

For the Memphis Grizzlies, six different players were in double figures, including Jaren Jackson Jr. who tallied 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block in 33:17 minutes. With no Ja Morant in the game, the Grizzlies needed someone else to step up and Scottie Pippen Jr. tried to fill that role with 15 points and 2 assists in the contest.

In the end, despite the best efforts from the Grizzlies, they didn’t have enough without Ja Morant to overcome this Lakers team. While they may be flawed, the Lakers have the star power, depth, and experience to beat any team in the West and tonight was just more proof that they belong among the NBA’s elite this year.

LeBron James Is Not Holding Back

Since D’Angelo Russell was booted to the bench, LeBron James has taken on more responsibility as a playmaker for the Lakers and it’s opened up the floor for his teammates in brand new ways. Tonight, he dropped his first triple-double of the season at 39 years old, shooting 59.1% from the field in an impressive all-around performance.

This season, despite having nothing left to prove in the NBA, LeBron James is holding nothing back in his pursuit of a title and it’s quickly becoming one of his best stretches yet as a Laker. Through the first 10 games so far, James has been a borderline MVP candidate with averages of 23.2 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game on 51.5% shooting.

As the main facilitator and ball handler for the Lakers, everyone is getting better looks thanks to a cleaner and more efficient offense. Tonight, against a shorthanded Grizzlies team, LeBron was able to put everything together and lead the Lakers to victory over a familiar foe. It may have to be a common theme this season for the Lakers to gain any ground in the standings.

Dalton Knecht Is The Real Deal

As good as LeBron and Davis were tonight, it was an unexpected hero off the bench who came in and really sealed the win for the Lakers down the stretch: rookie shooting guard Dalton Knecht. After being drafted 17th this summer, expectations were relatively high for the former Tennessee prospect. Yet, somehow, he’s already managed to surpass all expectations in his first 10 games with the Lakers.

Tonight, Dalton was crucial for the Lakers and provided a major scoring boost with his shooting on the perimeter. He was a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc, leading both teams in three-point shooting. The guy may only be 23, but he’s already earned his place in the Lakers’ rotation and Redick may want to consider giving him an even bigger role as the season progresses.

Either way, for a team that so desperately needed a spark on offense, Knecht is a breath of fresh air and his game has made the perfect fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As a first-year player, Dalton still has a long way to go in his development but he’s already proven himself as a valuable member of the Lakers given his skillset as a young and versatile sharpshooter.

Lakers Have Shooters

In the past, perimeter shot-making has always been a problem for the Lakers and it’s why they’ve had to rely so heavily on LeBron and Davis to carry their scoring load. This season, while the Lakers still rank near the bottom in average 3-pointers made, they are showing some signs of life in that area which may indicate that better days are ahead.

Against the Grizzlies, the Lakers went 20-41 from three with seven different players hitting from the perimeter. Dalton Knecht, D’Angelo Russell, and all of the Lakers starters made at least one three-pointer and it was enough to stave off the Grizzlies from making a run to steal the game.

It remains to be seen if this level of shooting is sustainable for the Lakers but if they can consistently hit like they did tonight it will go a long way toward opening up the floor and freeing up space for LeBron and Davis to operate around the rim.

At 7-4 this year, the Lakers are in a much better position than last season but the hard work is only just beginning. Now that we’ve seen what LeBron and the Lakers can do, teams across the league will challenge them with everything they have. Fortunately, the Lakers are used to seeing everyone’s best and they should have no issues rising to the occasion with a great coach, a pair of stars, and a well-balanced cast of role-players.

Up next, the Lakers head to San Antonio for a battle against Victor Webanyama and the Spurs on Friday, November 15th, at 7:30 PM EST in Frost Bank Center. The Lakers will then head to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Saturday before their next NBA Cup game on the 19th against the Utah Jazz at the Crypto.com arena.