Hours after the Los Angeles Lakers had the opportunity to make relatively quick work of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, they now find themselves in an extended series that could become more of a dogfight.
They dropped Game 5 by the score of 116-99, despite having a window of opportunity in the third quarter to take control of the contest and put Ja Morant and company away for the summer.
Now L.A. has given the Grizzlies life and confidence, and it will take more effort and energy to advance to the second round. However, if it takes care of these three areas, Game 6 may not be too strenuous.
Hold Desmond Bane down
It goes without saying that the Lakers need to contain Ja Morant, and overall, they’ve actually done a pretty good job on him in this series, as he has only played well in one entire game. That was Game 5 when he poured in 31 points on 13-of-26 shooting.
But lately, Los Angeles has lost sight of Morant’s backcourt mate Desmond Bane. Bane exploded for 33 points on 12-of-21 shooting on Wednesday, and in Game 5 he had 36 points.
The Lakers may be able to live with Morant getting 30 points, but if Bane also has another big game, they could be looking at a winner-take-all contest in Memphis.
Get off to a good start
Traditionally, on the road, teams hope to at least keep things close early and weather the storm from the opposition until they can find some sort of advantage.
But at home, especially in a potential close-out game, a team needs to jump out of the gates fast and get its opponent down early.
With Game 6 taking place at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers need to start fast and make the Grizzlies nervous about having their season on the line. They need to do so not only defensively, but also by getting their transition game revved up from the start.
In Game 3, L.A. led 35-9 at the end of the first quarter. It may not need the exact same start in Game 6, but an early lead of at least two possessions will have the Grizzlies on their heels and thinking instead of playing freely.
LeBron James need to play up to his standards
James had one of his worst playoff performances ever in Game 5, going just 5-of-17 from the field and 1-of-9 from 3-point range while committing five turnovers, with all five coming in the first half.
Was fatigue a factor? He played 45 minutes in Game 4, but in Game 5 he was pushing the ball in transition and attacking the basket well for the first two and a half quarters. However, once the game got away from L.A. late in the third quarter, he started settling for lots of long jumpers.
James has had perhaps only one “great” game in this series so far, which came in Game 2 when he had 28 points on 12-of-23 shooting and 12 rebounds.
He doesn’t necessarily need a vintage performance, but he at least needs to be efficient with his shooting and limit his turnovers while pushing the pace and attacking the basket. He also needs to be selective with his 3-point attempts, as he has struggled from downtown all season long.
D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves also need to play well, not just offensively, but also in terms of handling the ball more often and leading the fast break in order to help preserve James’ finite energy.
