MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It was about as good of a chance the Lakers could’ve hoped for.
On their sixth night in Memphis, the seventh seed in the West faced the second-seeded Grizzlies without their best player and leading scorer, Ja Morant, another blow to a team that was already playing without two of its top three big men.
After beating Memphis Sunday in Game 1, the Lakers got two days to rest, two days for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to recover. Of course, the Grizzlies were going to play with tons of energy, but if the Lakers could only match it, they’d have virtually every other advantage, a chance for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series more of a probability than a possibility.
Trouble was, the Lakers played like it — a team that operated with premature satisfaction after opening the playoffs with a stellar performance. Now, after losing 103-93 to the Grizzlies in Game 2, the Lakers return to Los Angeles this weekend for a critical Game 3.
Another game like this, where they don’t execute, where they get pushed around and outhustled and outplayed, and the Lakers could hand control back to their outmanned opponent.
Wednesday, the chance for some cushion couldn’t have been handed to them better, Morant, who was already dealing with a right hand injury on his way into the playoffs, re-injuring the hand during a fall to the court late in Game 1.
His status was unclear heading into Game 2, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins saying he’d be a game-time decision despite showing improvement since Sunday.
Morant, though, ultimately wouldn’t play. He watched from the bench, clearly avoiding using his gloved right hand for anything while Memphis fought without him.
It wasn’t an unfamiliar position for the Grizzlies. Last season, the team somehow won 20 of 25 games without Morant in the regular season, and one of three in the playoffs. This season, in 21 games without Morant, Memphis won 11, thanks in part to the credibility of backup Tyus Jones, who is one of the best second-string point guards in the NBA.
“We’re equipped,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said pregame when asked about Morant’s status. “We have a Plan A, Plan B. We’ll see what happens.”
What happened was the Grizzlies, despite a miserable shooting start, set the terms of action, pushing the Lakers off their spots and making most of the impact plays.
Anthony Davis, desperate for an easy bucket, had two shots blocked by 6-foot-5 reserve guard John Konchar.
With the Grizzlies swarming Davis at every touch, he was mostly an offensive non-factor. He missed 10 of his 14 shots, scoring only 13 points while blocking five shots.
While LeBron James scored 28 and Rui Hachimura came off the bench for 20 points, the Lakers couldn’t ever get closer than six in the second half — a climb they made even tougher after falling behind by as many as 20 in the third.
Despite getting within six points late, the Lakers stood flat-footed as Memphis sealed the game on the offensive glass. Grizzlies big man Xavier Tillman finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds while Jaren Jackson Jr. had 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
The chance for the Lakers to go up 2-0 and grab the series in a bear hug was gone, unsure if another will present itself quite like this during the playoffs.
