A third star emerges for the Los Angeles Lakers—his efficiency tops Luka Dončić, and he leads the team in plus-minus when on the floor.

Jack LaRavia downplayed it as “just a normal game,” but what he did against his former team was anything but ordinary.

On Jan 5, 2026 (Beijing time), the Lakers hosted the Memphis Grizzlies and trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half. With the offense stalling, LaRavia drilled a timely three to stop the bleeding, helping Los Angeles cut the deficit to 54–65 at halftime.

The momentum flipped after the break. LaRavia opened the third quarter with consecutive buckets, while LeBron James and Luka Dončić kept attacking to bring the Lakers within striking distance (83–87 after three). In the fourth, LaRavia’s relentless drives helped the Lakers take the lead, and Dončić sealed it late with back-to-back clutch threes. Despite a late Memphis push, the Lakers completed the comeback, winning 120–114 for their second straight victory.

The win lifted Los Angeles to 22–11, climbing to third in the West. Dončić posted 36 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, James added 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists, and LaRavia delivered a breakout performance: 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting (4-of-10 from three), perfect 4-of-4 at the line, plus 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, zero turnovers, and a team-high +13 plus-minus.

It was also his second straight eruption against Memphis—47 total points across two games—strengthening his case as the Lakers’ much-needed third scoring option while key rotation players remain out.