LeBron James has third straight triple-double as Lakers rally for 128-123 victory over Grizzlies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 35 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for his third straight triple-double and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-123 on Wednesday night.

Anthony Davis scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. He picked up his fifth foul with 3:51 remaining in the third quarter, then came back in with 6:48 left and hit a couple of pivotal baskets, including a 3-pointer with 4:51 remaining to put Los Angeles up for good at 111-108.

James was 13 of 22 from the field, hitting 4 of 7 3-pointers.

Jaren Jackson Jr. had 29 points for Memphis, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Rookie Dalton Knecht and Rui Hachimura added 19 points apiece for the Lakers.

The Lakers trailed 96-91 at the end of three quarters before starting the quarter with a 10-2 run. The lead would change hands three more times before the 3-pointer by Davis, who also had 14 rebounds.

Grizzlies: Memphis had seven players in double figures for the fourth straight game. Marcus Smart returned after missing six games due to ankle injury and had 14 points.

Lakers: Los Angeles is 6-0 at home for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

Davis reached 18,000 career points with a layup at the 7:51 mark of the first quarter. He is the 80th player in NBA history to reach that milestone as well as the 12th to also have at least 7,000 rebounds and 1,500 blocks since 1973-74.

The Lakers made a season-high 20 3-pointers. Knecht made all five of his shots from beyond the arc.

Both teams have NBA Cup games on Friday night. The Grizzlies are at Golden State. and the Lakers travel to San Antonio.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells, right, dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Comedians Chris Rock, right, and David Spade stand near their seats during a break in the first half of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff (30) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) dribbles next to Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, left, grabs a rebound over Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., right, is defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine (AP) — The four drones were designed to carry bombs, but instead the men of Ukraine's Khartia brigade pack them with food, water and handwarmers and launch them in darkness toward the front line, a 15-minute flight away.

The unit commander who goes by the callsign Kit, or “cat,” pilots the tiny uncrewed aircraft from a basement room he jokingly calls their Airbnb. Guided by the drone's night-vision camera, he drops the 10-kilogram (22-pound) packages one by one as close as he can to the position where as many as five infantrymen battle Russian forces in the late autumn chill. The delivery will hold them for two or three days.

That's about as far as Kit dares look into the future. He knows that the reelection of Donald Trump will change something in his life, but as far as he and other Ukrainian soldiers on the front are concerned, trying to figure out how is a game for politicians. For him, all that matters is the distance he measures in the meters (yards) that Russian forces advance or retreat in the front-line sector that is his responsibility.

“We are trying with all our might to destroy them and win back our territories, so that it does not go any further, so that there are no more destroyed cities and destroyed lives,” Kit said. “We need to focus on the present in our work and try to do it effectively in the here and now.”

But he cannot escape the sense of a gathering storm.

Russia is increasingly hitting the Kharkiv region with unstoppable, building-leveling glide bombs and swarms of drones and chipping away at territory there. Its troops are advancing in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Up to 12,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia's Kursk border region to help beat back Ukrainian forces there, according to U.S., South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence assessments.

Trump, who has called President Vladimir Putin “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine, has repeatedly criticized American backing of Ukraine. He characterized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “the greatest salesman on Earth” for winning U.S. aid.

Zelenskyy was among the first world leaders to publicly congratulate Trump, and said the two discussed how to end “Russian aggression against Ukraine” when they met in September.

Between now and Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, the Biden administration has said it will send as much aid to Ukraine as possible to help hold back Russian forces and possess a strong hand in any potential peace negotiations. But Russia is pressing just as hard for an advantage in what most believe are crucial weeks to come.

Aviator, a Khartia soldier launching the supply drones, said he can only do his job and hope for the best. His attention is fixed on how many hours remain before the coming dawn, when Russian forces will be able to spot the uncrewed aircraft and shoot them down. If his mission fails, he knows that the men he calls brothers will suffer.

“You feel you’re useful, that you are in the right place, that the lives and health of our brothers depend on your work," said Aviator, who returned to Ukraine from a job in Poland to join the army. "We’re just doing our job, we don’t have time to worry about the election.”

Tolstiy, who runs a drone repair workshop not far away, knows firsthand what happens to territory captured by Russia. A former infantryman, he fought in Bakhmut and watched the city fall to Russian forces who bombed it to rubble. He confessed that sometimes, reading the news makes him want to give up. But that's simply unthinkable.

“It’s like we’re in another world here,” he said. “When you see that your comrades are injured or killed, it motivates you.”

Lori Hinnant contributed from Kyiv.

Servicemen of Ukraine's Khartia brigade pack a Vampire drone with food and water to launch toward the frontline to Ukrainian positions near Kharkiv, Ukraine, late Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukraine's Khartia brigade officer, who goes by callsign Kit, left, sits while his soldiers pilot drones in a shelter on the frontline near Kharkiv, Ukraine, late Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Servicemen of Ukraine's Khartia brigade pilot drones in a shelter on the frontline near Kharkiv, Ukraine, late Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Servicemen of Ukraine's Khartia brigade pack a Vampire drone with food and water to launch toward the frontline to Ukrainian positions near Kharkiv, Ukraine, late Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A soldier of Ukraine's Khartia brigade, callsign Tolstiy, inspects a FPV drone in a drone repair workshop close to the front line in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)