While they have been without forward Jarred Vanderbilt and big man Christian Wood in each of their games (starting frontcourt players Anthony Davis and Rui Hachimura also didn't play on Wednesday), a team never wants to lose because it fell short in the effort category.

The Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers tipped off on Wednesday with a highly-anticipated matchup between star point guard Ja Morant and future Hall of Famer LeBron James. The Grizzlies and Lakers have had some great battles in recent years, including their first round playoff series in 2023.

Despite a 37-point effort from Anthony Davis and a strong game from LeBron James, the Lakers struggle on defense yet again in a 115-103 loss to Detroit.