LOS ANGELES — First it was the Lakers. Then it was a returning Ja Morant. And in between, it was a defensive-first playoff game, one Lakers fans have been waiting nearly a decade to witness.
With a full crowd watching a playoff game for the first time since 2013, the Lakers delivered a massive blow early and then held off one of the NBA’s biggest young stars in a 111-101 win Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers lead the series 2-1.
Anthony Davis scored 31 and LeBron James added 25, the two playing in front of a sellout crowd after the pandemic forced the team to play the 2020 postseason in Orlando and the Lakers’ 2021 first-round matchup with Phoenix in front of limited fans.
With the combined energy from a poor start in Game 2 and a home crowd Saturday, the Lakers authored one of the most dominant quarters in NBA history to simply build too steep of a hill for the Grizzlies to climb.
Davis also grabbed 17 rebounds, with D’Angelo Russell (17), Rui Hachimura (16) and Austin Reaves (13) scoring in double figures.
After missing Game 2 with a hand injury, Ja Morant started and scored 45 points including six threes.
Desmond Bane scored 18 and the Lakers held Jaren Jackson Jr. to 13, aided by foul trouble that disrupted his rhythm.
In so many ways, Game 2 couldn’t have started worse for the Lakers. Saturday, things couldn’t have started much better.
With the Lakers focused on a fast start, with the capacity crowd hungry for a sellout playoff atmosphere that hasn’t existed for the Lakers in a decade, the Lakers set the terms.
James, goaded by Dillon Brooks after Game 2, attacked the basket for the first two points. The crowd howled whenever Brooks touched the ball, daring him to shoot and celebrating when he missed.
The lead was six. Then it was 16. And then 26.
It was the best-case result after the Lakers keyed in on their starts in practice, coach Darvin Ham urging players to “dig in” and “make multiple efforts.”
By the time the first quarter ended, the Lakers led 35-9, tied for the most lopsided first quarter in NBA postseason history. The Grizzlies, somehow, made only three of their 25 shot attempts.
The lead pushed to 29 in the second quarter, but the Lakers were destined to learn one of the NBA’s undeniable truths — the only thing worse than being down 29 early in this NBA, though, is being up 29.
“Things are not going to be perfect,” Ham said. “…You can’t panic.”
The Lakers cooled down as Memphis settled into the game — they were really never that hot to begin with, their offense being driven almost entirely from their defense. Jumpers were hard to come by as Memphis and Morant kept attacking.
Despite the padding and tape around his right hand and wrist, Morant hit a pair of threes as the Grizzlies made their push at the end of the second.
Memphis closed the half on a 13-1 run, the Lakers only scoring 18 in the quarter to give the Grizzlies life.
Brooks, who said he was comfortable poking bears when he called James “old” after Game 2, got ejected seconds into the second half of Game 3. Brooks reached in and hit James in the groin, triggering a flagrant two foul.
After having extra days off between each of the series first two games, the series now picks up speed with games coming every other day beginning with Game 4 Monday in Los Angeles.
