Los Angeles @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 15, 2018 ) L.A. Lakers 114, Memphis 123

The Memphis Grizzlies suffered through several embarrassing losses this season, but none was as bad as the thumping they were issued at Charlotte on Thursday. The Grizzlies will try to put that terrible performance behind them and find a better effort when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

Memphis, which is fighting to avoid the worst record in the NBA, suffered the largest margin of defeat in franchise history and the sixth largest in NBA history with a 140-79 setback against the Hornets. "It's got to be from everybody, not just one or two guys," Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans told reporters. "They were out there just laughing. It was embarrassing, the whole thing. We've got to just wash this one away and just come back next game and be ready to play." The Lakers are enduring their own losing streak but are at least putting up more of a fight. "We're not losing because we're not making shots," Los Angeles coach Luke Walton told reporters after a 128-125 loss at New Orleans on Thursday. "The ball is moving, we're playing at a good pace. The reason we lost was we didn't play any defense for the majority of the game."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE LAKERS (31-40): Los Angeles allowed 80 points in the paint in Thursday's loss, but the focus after the game was still on rookie Lonzo Ball's poor shooting. The 20-year-old went 2-of-15 from the floor and 1-of-12 from beyond the arc in the loss and is 7-of-48 from 3-point range over the last seven contests. "The shots I'm getting, I like them, been hitting them my whole life," Ball, who went unguarded on several of his 3-point attempts on Thursday, told reporters. "A little frustrated they're not going in, though."

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (19-53): Memphis did not play center Marc Gasol (rest) on Thursday and is without point guard Mike Conley (heel), leaving plenty of minutes for younger players. "Every game for these guys and for all of us is an audition," interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. "It's a matter of being able to prove that you belong. To me, the end results and the scores, that stuff is going to be what it is. But every team in the NBA is going to go back and they're going to watch these films. They're going to key in on each individual and see in tough situation, what did they do? There's two options, you fight or you run. And tonight we ran from the fight." Second-year shooting guard Wayne Selden led the team with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting off the bench.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lakers PF Julius Randle scored at least 20 points in each of the last six games and recorded five double-doubles in that span.

2. Grizzlies PG Andrew Harrison (wrist) sat out Thursday and is day-to-day.

3. Memphis took two of the first three meetings this season, including a 123-114 home win on Jan. 15.

PREDICTION: Lakers 120, Grizzlies 99