Many believed the Los Angeles Lakers would have a difficult matchup in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs versus the Memphis Grizzlies. After all, the Grizzlies are a feisty and talented team that features the explosive Ja Morant and several other very capable players.
Los Angeles built a 10-point lead in the first quarter on the strength of its transition game. But Memphis fought back with a second-quarter spurt that put it up, 65-59, at halftime.
The Lakers responded with a strong third quarter in which it outscored Morant and company, 37-25, thanks to some hot 3-point shooting. Memphis briefly regained the lead, but LeBron James and crew went on another run shortly afterward and never looked back.
What may have doomed the Grizzlies’ fate was an apparent injury Morant suffered with 5:48 left in the final period when he committed an offensive foul. He fell hard to the floor and seemed to aggravate a hand injury he was already dealing with. He didn’t return.
It resulted in a 128-112 Lakers win that gave them home-court advantage.
With two full days off before Game 2 on Wednesday and Morant not likely to play in the next game, they could be in position to return to Los Angeles with a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Anthony Davis: A-minus/A
Davis scored 22 points, which is beneath his standards, but he was very efficient, hitting 10-of-17 shots from the field and both of his free throws. Overall, he played an impressive game on Sunday.
The most impressive aspect of his play was his defense. He blocked an incredible seven shots while also coming up with three steals, which was a major factor in the Lakers being able to come up with defensive stops in succession when they needed them. Davis also grabbed 12 rebounds to help L.A. outrebound Memphis by 13.
However, just before the end of the first half, he suffered an injury scare when he chased after a loose ball and got tangled up with another player. He appeared to injure his right arm or shoulder. He went to the locker room immediately and was unable to move his right arm. Everyone feared he wouldn’t be able to return, possibly for the series, but he was on the court to start the third quarter, and it was business as usual from that point.
LeBron James: B-plus/A-minus
Like Davis, James didn’t score as many points as one normally expects. He came up with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, but like Davis, other aspects of his game made a big impact.
James is often criticized for a lackadaisical effort on the defensive end, and it is a valid criticism, especially since he has to save his energy at this point of his career. On Sunday, he came out with plenty of defensive vigor, blocking three shots and adding two steals while also gobbling up 11 rebounds.
He missed his first five 3-point attempts, but he found his shooting eye during the Lakers’ third-quarter rally, and it was enough for him to shoot 3-of-8 from downtown and 8-of-16 overall for the game.
James, however, had five turnovers, and it is something he has had an issue with lately.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B
Vanderbilt secured only four rebounds and scored just four points, but as usual, it was his defense that was most valuable to the Lakers.
He took turns guarding multiple players, including Morant and Desmond Bane. While Morant went 8-of-14, he didn’t have his typical game. He scored just 18 points and mustered only two assists while turning the ball over six times. Bane, meanwhile, was 6-of-18 from the field.
D'Angelo Russell: B-minus
Russell shot 7-of-17 overall and 3-of-9 from 3-point range, scoring 19 points, but he was very accurate after the first quarter, a period in which he was just 1-of-5.
He dished a team-high seven assists while limiting himself to two turnovers. While the Lakers committed eight turnovers in the second quarter, they had 14 for the game, allowing them to hold Memphis to 17 fast-break points while scoring 26 themselves.
Austin Reaves: A
Reaves scored 23 points on 8-of-13 overall shooting and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, but he did his most damage late in the fourth quarter.
With L.A. clinging to a 111-109 lead with less than four minutes left, he scored nine straight points to put his team ahead by eight points with 1:31 left, at which point the Grizzlies were done.
Reaves also added four assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block in what was a very impressive playoff debut for him.
Rui Hachimura: A-plus
Hachimura picked a pretty good time to have his best game so far as a Laker. He hit back-to-back 3-pointers immediately after entering the game in the third quarter. He hit two more later in the period to help his team surge ahead entering the final frame.
Overall he had a team-high 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting and 5-of-6 from downtown plus six rebounds. When he plays anywhere near this level, the Lakers seem somewhat unbeatable.
Dennis Schroder: C-plus/B-minus
This was a quiet game for Schroder. He shot 2-of-5 and scored seven points and had four assists in 20 minutes.
Troy Brown Jr.: C
Brown also didn’t make much of an impact. He went 1-of-4 from the field and scored three points to go along with three rebounds and one assist.
Malik Beasley: D
Beasley played just 10 minutes, and in that time, he got off only two shot attempts, both of which were unsuccessful 3-point tries. He went scoreless, and his only positive contribution was one offensive rebound.
Shaquille Harrison, Lonnie Walker IV, Max Christie, Mo Bamba, Wenyen Gabriel: Incomplete
All five came into the game toward the end with the outcome decided. None made any contribution on the stat sheet.
