Jarell Martin scores career high in Memphis Grizzlies win over Lakers

Extra help is always nice, and Jarell Martin provided a huge scoring lift for the Memphis Grizzlies as he posts a career-high 18 points in win over Lakers.

The Memphis Grizzlies are desperate for help. Marc Gasol and Tyreke Evans are the only reliable scoring options for this team. Finding secondary contributors is like a mystery game every other night. Tonight, it was Jarell Martin who came to the rescue.

The third-year player out of LSU was all over the place as he scored a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds. He crashed the offensive glass for easy put-back opportunities — including a nice follow-up jam:

In addition to his jams, he also found a smooth touch from mid-range. He cracked the 20-point mark after a late lob from Tyreke Evans.

Martin also played solid defense, forcing stud rookie Kyle Kuzma into a poor shooting night. After averaging 28.5 points the past four games, Kuzma couldn’t even crack double-digits. He scored nine points on a horrendous 4-24 shooting from the field. Martin was physical with him and forced him into tough shots.

For the Memphis Grizzlies to find a rhythm, they need steady contributions. This performance was encouraging, and hopefully Jarell Martin can be a consistent force more often.

Martin has the skill-set to become a solid rotation player. He’s a quick big man who can guard players on the perimeter on defense. Offensively, he finds opportunities to score through hustle plays and a nice jumper. He just needs to find overall consistency to prove himself in this league.

Next: 5 things that will determine Jarell Martin's future with Grizzlies

Other Key Stats

Tyreke Evans: 32 points (8-17 shooting from the field, 14-15 from the free throw line), seven rebounds, seven assists.

Deyonta Davis: 14 points in 15 minutes.

Andrew Harrison: 15 points on 7-9 shooting from the line.

Marc Gasol: 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks.