The shot had barely counted, bouncing three times before settling through the rim, when Austin Reaves let the emotion pour out of him. “I’m him,” bellowed Reaves at no one in particular, though 18,000-plus stunned fans inside FedEx Forum likely felt it in their direction.
The Lakers took Game 1 of its first round series against Memphis and whoa, boy—the Grizzlies could be in some trouble. Anthony Davis was dominant. LeBron James was efficient. Reaves and Rui Hachimura combined for 52 points. Meanwhile, Ja Morant missed the last six minutes after landing hard on his right hand. X-rays were negative but Morant admitted after the game that his status for Game 2 was “in jeopardy.”
“He’s in some pain,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “Tough fall there. More evaluation over the next two days.”
