On Friday night, the Los Angeles Lakers completed their first-round upset of the Memphis Grizzlies with a 125-85 victory in Game 6. Anthony Davis contributed 16 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks in a spectacular defensive performance, while D’Angelo Russell scored a postseason career-high 31 points.
LeBron James tallied 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who for the first time since 2012 decisively clinched a playoff series in their home arena.
The Lakers won all three of their home games in the series, and their final victory was a frightening display of what they are capable of when James and Davis are both healthy. In Game 6, Davis’ formidable defensive presence largely stifled Memphis’ offence, while Russell’s five 3-pointers highlighted an impressive offensive performance by a team with championship aspirations.
Austin Reaves, who had 11 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, said, ”To say the least, we didn’t want to go back to Memphis.” Reaves had 11 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. “We wanted to win tonight on our home court, so we were locked in.”
The Lakers led by 20 points at halftime and 36 points in the third quarter before coasting to victory in front of superfan Jack Nicholson and a boisterous crowd. James and Davis were able to rest their legs for the second round by sitting out the entire fourth quarter.
The Lakers had to win a play-in game in order to qualify for a postseason series, despite the fact that this star-studded squad is not a typical seventh seed. Tuesday, Los Angeles begins its next series on the road against the victor of Game 7 between Sacramento and defending champion Golden State on Sunday.
“This is just getting started,” said Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. “We have passed Level 1.” Now, we must begin transferring our attention to the winner of Sunday’s match. After the contest, LeBron James imparted some profound advice. It is just as much about us as it is about our opponent. We must be the finest possible versions of ourselves.
Ja Morant tallied 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting for the Grizzlies, who have won 107 games and two Southwest Division championships over the past two seasons but only one playoff series.
Morant’s injured right hand appeared to hinder his shot, and he appeared reluctant to drive the canvas with his customary fearlessness as Davis loomed in the middle. Morant’s teammates were unable to compensate for his performance: Desmond Bane, who ensured a Game 7, scored 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting, while Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 14 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Dillon Brooks, the Memphis agitator who referred to LeBron James as ”old” after Game 2 and was subsequently ejected from Game 3 for striking James in the groyne, completed the series with 10 points in Game 6 as Lakers fans jeered his every move.
We did not play our best basketball in any of these six games, according to Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins. ”We won two games in this series, but our performance was far below par. Discipline, execution, defensively, urgency, and then just our offensive production… (We’ve) got to find methods to improve. This is a sensation we must remember. It must be motivating. It must be realised that this is part of our team’s evolution.
The Lakers had not won a postseason series outside of Florida in 11 years, enduring a difficult decade and a half for a 17-time champion franchise with accustomed fans. James and Davis have won a championship together, but they had done little to stand out in front of their home fans until the trade deadline two months ago, when their supporting cast was bolstered by several additions led by Russell.
The Grizzlies had the second-worst road record among the 16 postseason teams in the NBA during the regular season, and they lost all five road games against the Lakers. They avoided elimination with a victory in Memphis on Wednesday, but Lakers supporters understood the gravity of the situation and turned out in force, highlighted by the return of 86-year-old Nicholson to his courtside seats after an absence of nearly a year.
Davis, who blocked 26 shots in the six-game series, led his team to a 20-point advantage in the first half and a 36-point lead in the third quarter with a defense-based performance. Davis triumphantly raised both arms to encourage his cheering supporters to chant ”A-D! A-D!” just before he checked out for good.
The Grizzlies played without 3-point threat Luke Kennard due to a strained shoulder, further diminishing their depth in the absence of injured starters Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke.
JACK’S BACK
Returning to his customary seats with his son, Nicholson observed his favourite team for the first time since October 2021, sitting in his usual location. The Lakers’ most renowned fan has been a courtside fixture for the past fifty years, and whenever his face appeared on the scoreboard, his fellow fans gave him a standing ovation.
TIP-INS
Kennard completed a pregame exercise for the Grizzlies before being ruled out. He received an injury in Game 5. In 18 minutes, Xavier Tillman tallied two points.
Lakers: James tied Derek Fisher for the most playoff series victories in NBA history with 40. Nicholson’s return was the highlight of a celebrity-studded evening courtside, where Larry David, Dr. Dre, Adele, and Kyrie Irving, who received a bear embrace from LeBron James before the game, were among the fans. Irving is a free agent this summer, and in recent years he has been repeatedly linked to a reunion with James.
