Telepeer

Lakers crush Grizzlies in Game 6, advance to 2nd round

April 29, 2023

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers handled their business in no uncertain terms Friday night, dispatching the Memphis Grizzlies swiftly and certainly in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series at Crypto.com Arena. It was close for a while, but then the Lakers rocketed away to the second round.

The Lakers’ decisive 125-85 victory was nostalgic in so many ways, not the least of which was the dominating way in which they overwhelmed a talented but ultimately overmatched opponent. The Lakers were seeded seventh and the Grizzlies were seeded second. Upset?

Maybe. Maybe not.

To be sure, LeBron James and Anthony Davis presented problems the short-handed Grizzlies couldn’t solve at various points during the series, and their championship pedigree should not be overlooked in a playoff game with so much at stake. The Grizzlies, young and talented but missing two of their key frontcourt players, were unprepared for what hit them.

James scored 22 points, Davis had 16 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots, and D’Angelo Russell set a playoff career-high with 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting (5 for 9 from 3-point range) as the Lakers led by as many as 40 points. They turned a 59-42 halftime lead into a 100-67 advantage entering the fourth quarter with an electric third.

Santi Aldama led Memphis with 16 points.

It was the Lakers’ first playoff series win on their home court since they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of a second-round series in May 2012. The Lakers won the franchise’s 17th NBA championship in 2020 in the pandemic bubble in Orlando, Fla., beating the Miami Heat with only family members in attendance.

The Lakers advanced Friday to meet the winner of the Golden State Warriors-Sacramento Kings series in the second round. The Kings forced the Warriors to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento with a 118-99 victory in Game 6 on Friday night in San Francisco.

The Lakers had wilted in the closing minutes of the third quarter in Game 5 in Memphis, losing to the Grizzlies and setting up what loomed as a must-win Game 6 in Los Angeles. The Lakers needed a win to avoid a Game 7 in FedEx Forum, where the Grizzlies had the best home record in the NBA this season; the Grizzlies needed a win to avoid vacation.

After a few moments of uncertainty Friday, the Lakers found a rhythm that was lacking in their 116-99 loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday. The Lakers built a 20-point lead late in the second quarter and seemed poised to run away with Game 6 before the teams could even reach halftime.

With a raucous sellout crowd of 18,997 urging them onward and upward, the Lakers held a 59-42 lead by halftime on the strength of 59.5% shooting and a defense that limited the Grizzlies to 32.7% shooting. The Lakers’ best players were their best players.

James had 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting by halftime, and Davis had 11 points and 10 rebounds. What’s more, Davis was at his best when defending the Grizzlies’ big men, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman Sr. Jackson and Tillman got into foul trouble in the second quarter and were non-factors.

Jackson had the same number of fouls as points (three) and Tillman had twice as many fouls (four) as points (two) by halftime. The Lakers took advantage by scoring 36 of their first 59 points in the paint. The Grizzlies scored only 16 of their 42 points in the paint, relying mostly on perimeter shots.

Eighteen of the Grizzlies’ first-half attempts were from behind the 3-point arc.

Russell got the Lakers pointed in the right direction by scoring 10 of their first 25 points, making five of his first seven shots and helping them to a 25-16 lead with a 3-pointer that forced Memphis to call a timeout with 2:45 left in the first quarter. The Lakers were in control from that point.

Russell hit 3-pointers on consecutive trips early in the third and Jarred Vanderbilt hit a third 3 moments later to extend the Lakers’ lead to 68-45 and force the Grizzlies to take a timeout with 10:21 left in the quarter. The crowd was in a celebratory mood by then, roaring ever louder.

James and Davis have won a title together, but they had done little to remember in front of their home fans before the past two months, when their supporting cast markedly improved at the trade deadline with several additions headlined by Russell. The dynamic duo improved to 5-0 in playoff series in which they both appeared in every game together.

Lakers fans sensed the enormity of the moment and turned out in force, highlighted by the return of the 86-year-old Nicholson to his courtside seats after a nearly two-year absence.

More to come on this story.

Lakers |

Lakers take another crack at closing out Grizzlies in Game 6

Lakers |

Lakers fade in 3rd quarter as Grizzlies force a Game 6

Lakers |

Lakers’ failure to contain Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane, Ja Morant proves costly in Game 5

Lakers |

Rui Hachimura giving Lakers another option after LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Lakers |

Alexander: LeBron James reaches new milestones in Lakers’ Game 4 win against Grizzlies

Orange County Register