MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The flurry between LeBron James and Ja Morant had the characteristics of two boxers trading punches with some showmanship added for flair.
Late in the second quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies' 131-114 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, the two stars from different generations showed why they are the leaders of their teams. James expressed appreciation for the battle between the two and what Morant brings to the league.
“The energy alone. The inspiration that he gives to the younger generation alone is huge for our league,” James said of Morant.
Near the end of the first half, Morant and James went at it, exchanging baskets, each using the “too small” sign after scores in the fray. Morant got a technical foul at one point in the battle as the crowd grew louder with each basket. A good representation of Lakers fans in FedExForum balanced the cheering Grizzlies faithful.
There was a hook from Morant and an ensuing free throw for a 3-point play with 1:24 left in the half. Then James' 8-foot jumper 20 seconds later. Another layup by James, followed 7 seconds later by another jumper by Morant that one the Grizzlies' guard so fired up that he earned the technical.
“I think I did the ‘too small’ to somebody who was too small,” Morant recalled. "He came back and did it respectfully. ...He did it, and I don't back down from nobody. I don't care who you are.
“My job was to just come back. I got my bucket, and I set the tone. My teammates fed off of it, and you see what happens. Top dog in our league. You take out the top dog, who else you fear?”
But James put the exchange in the category of mutual respect, and two of the league's top players doing their best to be better than the other, the roots of which going back to the first time they picked up a basketball.
“Just two guys from the inner city who love to compete,” James said of the battle with Morant. “That's how we all grew up, playing on the blacktop, playing outside, competing at a high level when there was no cameras around.”
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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks with the referee as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) looks on in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) grabs a steal from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (3) assists on defense in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
MAUMERE, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted again Thursday, spewing a column of hot clouds that rose 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) from its peak, three days after a midnight eruption killed nine people and injured dozens of others.
There was no immediate report of casualties from the latest eruption.
The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) volcano on Indonesia’s remote island of Flores unleashed clouds of gray hot ash Thursday. The mixture of rock, lava and gas was thrown up to 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) from its crater, Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation said in a statement.
The volcano lulled in activity since Monday’s deadly eruption killed nine people and injured 64 others.
Monday's eruption affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages. About 4,400 villagers moved into makeshift emergency shelters after the eruption, which destroyed seven schools, nearly two dozen houses and a convent on the majority-Catholic island.
The country’s volcano monitoring agency increased Lewotobi Laki Laki's alert status to the highest level and more than doubled the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius since then, prohibiting any activity in that area.
Authorities warned the thousands of people who fled not to return home, as the government planned to move about 16,000 residents out of the danger zone, said National Disaster Management Agency head Suharyanto, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.
“Permanent relocation is considered as a long-term mitigation measure to anticipate eruption in the future,” Suharyanto told reporters after visiting the devastated areas Thursday.
Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of a pair of stratovolcanoes in the East Flores district of East Nusa Tenggara province, known locally as the husband-and-wife mountains. “Laki laki” means man, while its mate is Lewotobi Perempuan, or woman.
About 6,500 people were evacuated in January after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting, spewing thick clouds and forcing the government to close the island’s Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport. No casualties or major damage were reported, but the airport has remained closed since then due to seismic activity.
On Oct. 27, West Sumatra province’s Mount Marapi — one of the country’s most active volcanos — erupted, spewing thick columns of ash at least three times and blanketing nearby villages with debris. No casualties were reported.
Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of the 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 million people. The country is prone to earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity because it sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.
Karmini reported from Jakarta. Associated Press journalists Edna Tarigan and Andi Jatmiko contributed to this report.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials during an eruption, in East Flores, Indonesia, Thursday, Nov, 7, 2024. (AP Photo)
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials during an eruption, in East Flores, Indonesia, Thursday, Nov, 7, 2024. (AP Photo)
