Morris signs with Lakers, sharing town with twin

Forward Markieff Morris cleared waivers and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, who waived DeMarcus Cousins to open a spot on the roster, the team announced Sunday.

The Lakers signed Morris via the $1.75 million disabled player exception they received for Cousins earlier this season, league sources told ESPN.

Morris negotiated a buyout with the Detroit Pistons on Friday, leaving $4.3 million (the remainder of this season and his 2020-21 salary) on the table, according to ESPN.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ Marcus Morris, Markieff’s twin brother, said Saturday that he can see himself living with Markieff and carpooling to Staples Center if the Clippers and Lakers were to face each other in a seven-game playoff series.

76ers

After an initial evaluation, Philadelphia star Ben Simmons will undergo further testing on his lower back Monday, league sources said.

Simmons left the 76ers’ 119-98 road loss Saturday to the Milwaukee Bucks after tweaking his back in the first quarter.

Sources had described Simmons as emotional upon leaving the X-ray room at Fiserv Forum.

Grizzlies

Memphis forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has a sprained left knee and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team said. Jackson left Friday’s 117-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers late in the second quarter after an awkward fall when he was contesting a shot. He didn’t return for the second half. He ranks second on the Grizzlies with 16.9 points per game and leads the team with 1.6 blocks per game. Jackson, the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft, is shooting 39.7% from 3-point range.

Celtics

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers is the most storied franchise rivalry in NBA history, and the two teams added another classic chapter. Neither team led by more than seven points in the second half, and things weren’t completely settled until Jayson Tatum picked up an offensive foul with 0.8 seconds remaining. Once that call was made, the Lakers could finally relax and claim their hard-fought 114112 win. While the Lakers got the victory, Tatum’s performance was the story of the game. He tied a career high with 41 points on 12-of20 shooting, while also chipping in five rebounds, two assists and two steals. In the process, he became the youngest player in the storied Celtics-Lakers rivalry to score 40-plus in a game.