Grizzlies sink Lakers, Bucks scorch Heat to tie series

LOS ANGELES: The Memphis Grizzlies shook off the absence of star guard Ja Morant to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 103-93 on Wednesday and tie their Western Conference playoff series, as the Milwaukee Bucks thrashed Miami to square their Eastern Conference series.

Xavier Tillman scored 22 points and pulled down 18 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies, who led by as many as 20 points in a bruising battle that saw Lakers center Anthony Davis suffer a small cut on his right eyelid and LeBron James drawn into a verbal back and forth with Dillon Brooks.

With All-Star point guard Morant ruled out with a bruised right hand, the Grizzlies clamped down defensively, Tillman saying their message to Morant was "we've got his back, and we're going to hold it down for him."

The Grizzlies led by as many as 16 points on the way to a 59-44 halftime lead as the harried Lakers failed to find a way to get their offense firing.

Davis blocked five shots in the first half but connected on just one of nine shot attempts. He finished with 13 points on four-of-14 shooting.

James led all scorers with 28 points and Japan's Rui Hachimura added 20 to become the first Laker to score 20 points off the bench in back-to-back playoff games since Magic Johnson in 1996.

But unlike in game one, there would be no late resurgence from the Lakers, the Grizzlies absorbing the Lakers' second-half push.

Jaren Jackson Jr., the newly named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, scored 18 points, Desmond Bane added 17 and Brooks chipped in 12. Tyus Jones, starting in place of Morant, added 10 and eight assists.

Tillman said the Grizzlies will summon a "road-warrior mentality" for game three of the best-of-seven series in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The Grizzlies' Brooks