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

April 27, 2023

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — LeBron James locked eyes with Lakers coach Darvin Ham with 4 minutes, 40 seconds remaining in what would become a 116-99 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Wednesday at FedEx Forum. They had a non-verbal discussion, as Ham later put it.

It was time.

Not closing time.

But time to rest, to recover for Game 6 on Friday at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers lead the best-of-7 series, three games to two.

If necessary, Game 7 will be Sunday in Memphis.

“Tonight, I was (expletive),” James said. “I’ll be better in Game 6.”

James and Anthony Davis have been very much like ships passing in the night during the first five games of the series. They haven’t been productive together in the same game yet, with James dipping and Davis soaring in Game 5, and it was the opposite in the Lakers’ victory in Game 4.

James scored 15 points on 5-for-17 shooting with 10 rebounds, five assists and five turnovers in 37 minutes before retiring to the bench with the Lakers trailing 106-92. Davis led the Lakers with 31 points on 14-for-23 shooting and a playoff career-high 19 rebounds in a little more than 35 minutes.

“We just haven’t put two performances together,” James said. ”We still put three team efforts together to be up 3-2, and that’s what’s important. It doesn’t matter what A.D. and I are doing, it’s about winning basketball games.”

The Lakers were within 75-74 after James went on a personal 5-0 run that included two free throws with 4:36 left in the third quarter. But, instead of folding, the Grizzlies surged with a 19-2 run to end the third that they would extend to 26-2 by the opening minutes of the fourth.

Desmond Bane and Ja Morant ensured the Grizzlies would live to play another day, shredding the Lakers’ defense with a mix of drives to the basket and perimeter shots. Bane led the Grizzlies with 33 points and Morant had 31, and the Lakers had no answer for either of them.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board and look at the film and see what we come up with and, again, the biggest part of it is to be ready to come out Friday like gangbusters and compete for 48 minutes or however long it takes,” Ham said of the Lakers’ plans for Game 6.

Ham acknowledged facing a difficult decision as to when to pull the plug on Game 5 in order to rest James, Davis and his other starters. Down by 24 points with more than eight minutes still to be played, Ham chose to stick with his starters and see if they could make a run.

“It’s tough, man, because you’re competitive, you feel like in today’s basketball – 3-point shot – you can chew up a deficit really quick,” Ham said. “We gave up a 14-1 run in the first half in the last game, so it just goes to show you. It’s a great conundrum. Do you compete harder?

“Hopefully, some shots go in, you get to the free throw line. Or do you take that time and try to soak up some minutes with those guys getting ice on them or whatever? It’s playoff basketball and everyone’s in a competitive mode, and we decided to leave our guys out there.”

Asked about his level of fatigue, James said simply, “I’m good.”

Davis said he was prepared to “play all 48” in Game 6, if necessary.

“It’s what you prepare an entire season for,” Davis said.

The Lakers fell behind by as many as 17 points in the first half, which had more to do with the Grizzlies’ sense of desperation than anything else. Pushed to the brink of elimination after the Lakers’ overtime victory Monday in Game 4, the Grizzlies fought back to start Game 5.

Memphis could do nothing to stop Davis in the early going, but the Lakers didn’t have a consistent second or third offensive option. James missed seven of his first nine shots and had five turnovers in a first half that was every bit as forgettable as his Game 5 play was memorable.

Davis had a double-double by halftime, with 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting plus 10 rebounds. His teammates combined to shoot 13 of 31 (41.9 percent) in the first half. Austin Reaves, who had 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting, was the only other Lakers player with 10 or more points in the half. He finished with 17.

“Close-out games are tough,” Davis said. “The other team is going to come out with a sense of desperation. It was on their home floor. The crowd was into it. They got hot in the first quarter, making shots. Desmond Bane got hot and the crowd’s energy fed the other guys and they made plays and made shots.”

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Orange County Register

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

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