Commercial Truck Insurance in Memphis, TN

Chandler Martin was undoubtedly one of Memphis football's best players in 2023. The transfer linebacker from East Tennessee State led the team with 95 tackles and was one of two Tigers named first-team All-AAC.

He also wasn't at his best.

Martin dealt with a previously unrevealed left shoulder injury throughout last season that caused him to go in and out of games, but he had a cleanup procedure this offseason.

"There's many games last year we had to pull him out because he had a stinger or something like that," defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jordon Hankins said. "We already had it planned out: As soon as the season is over, get him cleaned up, strengthen it back up, put him in a better position to play at another level."

Martin acknowledged the injury affected him because he didn't know when it would flare up or when he'd have to miss a few plays. He's rehabbed it and is participating in spring practice.

"It's even better mentally for me, that I can just trust it completely," he said. "I'll probably be that much better in a sense."

Martin will enter 2024 as Memphis' best defensive player. The Tigers' offense was humming by the end of last season and returns most of its key playmakers, but there are strides to be made on the other side of the ball.

Hankins took over as interim defensive coordinator for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl win over Iowa State and was promoted to the full-time job a week later. Now he's got the entire offseason to revamp his defense, and Martin will be at the center of the new scheme.

More:How Jordon Hankins went from college baseball to Memphis football defensive coordinator

Last season, Martin had fellow linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku playing beside him. Cantin-Arku was a captain and the vocal leader of the defense, a role that will probably fall to Chandler in 2024.

"He's got to lead in all facets," Hankins said. "I'm not saying he did a bad job, but he always had another guy that could do that stuff and a guy that he could lean on that's been here before. That's the biggest thing with him. And he's done a great job with it. He'll run meetings and he'll do all that stuff right now."

Martin said he's approached this offseason by trying to clear out distractions. He's playing less video games and watching more film. Among the NFL linebackers he studies are Roquan Smith, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Quincy Williams.

He's also working on his leadership, whether that means running a meeting or getting on his teammates during practice.

"You'd be surprised what people do when they know you care about them," he said. "So it's just continuing to be myself and letting the guys know I care about them. The hard love is good love."

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — LeBron James had a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, Rui Hachimura scored 32 points as the Los Angeles Lakers built a big lead in the third quarter and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 136-124 on Wednesday night.

Coming off a 128-124 double-overtime victory in Milwaukee without James on Tuesday night, the Lakers won their fifth straight to pull within 2 1/2 games of idle Dallas for the sixth spot in the Western Conference, a spot that would avoid a play-in game.

Anthony Davis sat out against Memphis after having 34 points and 23 rebounds in a career-high 52 minutes against Milwaukee. He hyperextended his left knee late against the Bucks. James said Hachimura’s scoring — including 7 of 8 3-pointers — along with grabbing 10 rebounds was a key with Davis sitting out.

“Rui’s ability to shoot and spread the floor was big time for us,” James said. “He just stayed locked in all night.”

D’Angelo Russell added 23 points for Los Angeles, and Taurean Prince had 15.

Desmond Bane led Memphis with 26 points and a career-high 16 assists. Jake LaRavia scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Jaren Jackson added 17. The Grizzlies have lost six of seven.

Despite the extended game a night earlier, the Lakers seemed fine with their shooting legs in the first half, and led 69-61 at the break. Lakers coach Darvin Ham almost predicted the pace of the game, saying it was key for Los Angeles to get their legs in the first half after the Milwaukee win and let the second half play out.

“We started getting a groove into the game,” Ham said. “We knew coming off the (Bucks) game, this was not going to be a walk in the park.”

Los Angeles converted eight of its first 10 long-range shots in the third to stretch the advantage to 27. Memphis closed the third on a 21-4 run to pull to 102-92 entering the fourth.

The Lakers would maintain the double-digit lead through the bulk of the fourth.

“Priority was the paint,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said of Hachimura’s shooting. “Obviously, he was the beneficiary of some great ball movement. We adjusted late, but probably a little late on my part.”

The Grizzlies, limping to the finish after a season filled with injuries, got an emotional boost with the return of Brandon Clarke. The 6-foot-8 forward had not played since March 5, 2023 healing from a left Achilles injury. He finished with six points in almost 21 minutes.

As soon as Clarke got off the bench to enter the game in the first quarter, the Memphis fans began applauding his anticipated appearance. The recognition continued until a standing ovation when he was announced entering the game.

“I’m glad to get that first game over with,” Clarke said, acknowledging he still has work on his stamina. “I’ve been thinking about it for a very long time. I wish we could have won, but it was fun to play.”

The Lakers play down the stretch of the season is reminiscent of their run to make the playoffs last season. They finished the season 9-2 and made the play-in game where they defeated Minnesota before dispatching the Grizzlies in six games.

“Our laundry list has been simplified,” Ham said. “We know that nothing else matters if we don’t take care of our own business. You feel the playoff smell in the air. The playoffs and the postseason are rapidly approaching.”

UP NEXT

Lakers: At Indiana on Friday night.

Grizzlies: At Orlando on Saturday.

___

When GG Jackson was born in December 2004, LeBron James had already been playing in the NBA for more than a year.

But 19-and-a-half years later, when the Grizzlies and Lakers tipped off in Memphis Wednesday night, Jackson and James were matched up with each other. It was the oldest player in the NBA and the youngest player in the NBA, going at it.

"I wanted to try to crowd him, especially when he's getting to drive," Jackson said. "But I didn't realize how quick his first step is. A lot of people say he doesn't have much to his game. He really doesn't need much to his game. When your first step is like that and you can pass the way he passes, I don't want to say it's unstoppable. But it takes a lot more than one person to stop him."

James, 39, was at his vintage best in his first visit to FedExForum this season, tallying a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in the Lakers' 136-124 win. Jackson scored 10 points to go with four rebounds and spent significant time guarding James.

"Ever since he's been playing, he's gotten better and better," James said. "I had an opportunity to watch him a lot at Peach Jam a couple years ago, playing for team CP3 and I felt like he was one of the best players at Peach Jam that year."

Jackson reclassified and graduated high school early, joining South Carolina as a 17-year-old before leaving after one season and getting drafted in the second round by the Grizzlies. James said he considered reclassifying when he was in high school, but said he wanted to go pro and not to college.

James also knows Jackson well and followed his career with the Gamecocks because Meechie Johnson Jr., who James calls his nephew, also plays for South Carolina.

James' praise for Jackson is just the latest example of a star player with positive feedback for the Grizzlies' emerging rookie. Both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were impressed by his performance against the Bucks earlier this season, with Antetokounmpo calling Jackson an "extremely good player."

"He's gotten better and better every time he's stepped out on the floor for this ball club," James said. "And it's good for him to get this experience early on in his career."

James embraced Jackson postgame, and Jackson said, "I think I got a little bit taller" since the last time the two saw each other. But asked if they'd had any special interactions during the game, Jackson had a quick answer.

"Other than him hitting fadeaways and (messing) us up, not really," Jackson said.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.

In game one of the of the Lakers first round playoff series against Memphis last spring, the hometown Grizzlies dared Rui Hachimura to beat them with open three pointers and he happily obliged by making five of his six attempts from deep en route to 29 points. It was a coming out party of sorts for Rui, and a game that showed what he was capable of in the playoffs.

On Wednesday night the stakes weren't quite as high and the injury riddled Grizzlies are not the same caliber of team from the one last season, but without Anthony Davis in the lineup and more offensive usage available, Rui was again left open from beyond the arc but outdid himself by making seven of his eight three-pointers to score 32 points in a Lakers 136-124 victory. The team's winning streak is now pushed out to five games and moved them to 2-0 on their road trip.

It was not just the outside shooting that made Rui so successful, though. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, continuing his strong effort on the glass after grabbing 14 on Tuesday against the Bucks. And then, offensively, Rui mixed in his normal array of offensive moves inside the arc, slashing his way to easy finishes at the rim, serving as a release valve for his mid-range jumper, and attacking off the dribble to get into the paint for buckets. Overall, it was a huge game on a night the Lakers absolutely needed someone to pick up some production with AD out.

While Rui certainly carried the way for the Lakers offensively, he was not alone in this one. After missing Tuesday's win over the Bucks, LeBron James returned to the lineup and quickly got into the groove, connecting on his first six shots from the field and making eight of his 14 shots overall to score 23 points. James added 14 rebounds and 12 assists, notching his fourth triple-double of the season and completely controlling the flow of the game when he was on the court.

And that was really what the Lakers needed most from him. Yes, the production was fantastic and contributed greatly to the win, but a night after the team played a double-OT thriller and many of the key rotation players carried a huge load and played big minutes, what the Lakers required most was a certain amount of juice and verve from their leader, which is exactly what LeBron brought.

He raced the floor and hunted transition chances, attacked the backboards defensively, and showed a general level of activity and forcefulness that set the tone for his team and showed the opponent they were in for a long night whenever he was on the court.

Outside of LeBron and Rui, five additional Lakers scored in double figures, including the other three starters and Taurean Prince (15 points) and Spencer Dinwiddie (14 points) off the bench. Like Rui, D'Angelo Russell had it going from the outside, making five three-pointers while pouring in 23 points. And while he did not shoot the ball as efficiently (four of 13), Austin Reaves still had a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists (to just two turnovers) with his passing being critical to getting the Lakers good shots all night.

Jaxson Hayes was also wonderful stepping into the starting lineup for AD, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds while hitting six of his seven shots from the field. Further, Hayes, like LeBron, brought a great energy and spirit to the floor, diving on the ground for loose balls, standing strong in the paint to contest shots and be deterrent at the rim, and attacking the basket with force as a roll threat offensively to throw down some big dunks.

Overall, then, this was a very good team win that showed a commitment to not giving back the gains made from Tuesday's win in Milwaukee. The team played a mostly focused and committed game, led by LeBron, but backed up by Rui, Austin, and several others to keep Memphis at bay from the outset. The team will now travel to Indiana and will try to sweep the season series against them when they play for the final time on Friday.

The Lakers are on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a 102-92 lead against the Grizzlies.

The Lakers entered the game having won four straight and they're just one quarter away from another. Will they make it five, or will the Grizzlies step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies

Current Records: Los Angeles 40-32, Memphis 24-48

Having just played yesterday, the Los Angeles Lakers will head out on the road to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at FedExForum. Coming in fresh off a win as the underdog, the Lakers will stroll into this one as the favorite.

The Lakers had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.3 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Tuesday. They snuck past the Bucks with a 128-124 victory. The win was all the more spectacular given Los Angeles was down by 19 with 2:49 left in the first quarter.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead the Lakers to victory, but perhaps none more so than Austin Reaves, who dropped a triple-double on 29 points, 14 rebounds, and ten assists. Reaves is trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for four straight games. Anthony Davis was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 34 points and 23 rebounds.

The Grizzlies won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Monday. They suffered a bruising 128-103 loss at the hands of the Nuggets. Memphis has struggled against Denver recently, as their game on Monday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Los Angeles is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 40-32 record this season. As for Memphis, their defeat dropped their record down to 24-48.

This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: The Lakers just can't miss this season, having made 49.8% of their field goals per game (they're ranked third in field goal percentage overall). It's a different story for the Grizzlies, though, as they've only made 43.6% of theirs this season. Given the Lakers' sizable advantage in that area, the Grizzlies will need to find a way to close that gap.

The Lakers lost to the Grizzlies on the road by a decisive 127-113 margin in their previous matchup back in January. Can the Lakers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.

Los Angeles is a 3.5-point favorite against Memphis, according to the latest NBA odds.

Bettors have moved against the Lakers slightly, as the game opened with the Lakers as a 5.5-point favorite.

The over/under is 221.5 points.

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Los Angeles has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Memphis.