5 takeaways from Lakers' Game 1 win against Grizzlies
The Grizzlies might be at a disadvantage following a late wrist injury to Ja Morant in Game 1.
MEMPHIS – Five takeaways from the Los Angeles Lakers’ 128-112 Game 1 victory over the Grizzlies at FedEx Forum:
1. It’s hard to get dressed with one hand, let alone win in the NBA
Attempting to put on an undershirt, a T-shirt, and a hoodie without using your right hand is quite a challenge. However, Ja Morant faced this exact situation about an hour after Sunday’s game. His right hand, which had already suffered an injury last week during a game against Milwaukee, was tender and bandaged. He had used it to brace his fall with 5:48 remaining in the final quarter. This occurred when Anthony Davis of the Lakers intervened on the high-flying Morant to take a charge, resulting in the Memphis guard falling hard, with his hands absorbing most of the impact.
Morant took his time getting up, subsequently screaming in agony and clutching his hand with his left while rushing back to the Grizzlies’ locker room. Essentially, this marked the end of the game for Memphis. At a disadvantage of 105-101, they were subsequently trounced 23-11 for the remainder of the game.
Memphis coach Tayler Jenkins confirmed after the game that the X-rays were negative. However, he added, “He’s in some pain.”
It was evident that Morant’s right hand was primarily limp as he was getting dressed, occasionally resting on the blue vinyl seat at his stall. He didn’t use his right hand to pull on his crew socks, and he also relied solely on his left hand when slipping into his casual sneakers.
Now, the Grizzlies and their fans are anxiously waiting for updates to find out if Morant will be able to participate in Wednesday’s Game 2. Despite having three days to recover, Morant lacked the expected optimism, expressing pessimism instead. He was feeling the pain and doubting if his hand would get better in time.
“Things have been really hard,” Morant admitted, referring to the challenges he’s faced throughout the season. “My primary aim is to support my teammates, but now another situation puts that at risk. It’s a matter of how much more I can endure. If I believe I can perform at my usual level, I’ll likely play. However, I don’t want to do anything that could harm the team.”
“It’s extremely challenging and stressful. I’m still trying to process what has happened. Honestly, I don’t know, I feel quite numb. I’m not even shocked anymore. It just seems to be one thing after another.”
2. Lakers’ new Big 2?
With 29 and 23 points respectively, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves provided a significant uplift to the Lakers.
They are who they are, or something of the sort. During an unexpectedly stunning playoff debut, Austin Reaves, the Lakers’ guard, exclaimed, “I’m the one!” The erstwhile marginal shooter, who is now a starter, racked up 23 points as a large group of family and friends, who had traveled from his home state of Arkansas, watched on.
In the first quarter, Reaves scored seven points, then exploded with 14 points in the fourth quarter, leaving the Grizzlies staggering.
Rui Hachimura, the native of Toyama, Japan, was on fire, scoring nine points in the final quarter, including a powerful slam over Jaren Jackson Jr. He ended the game with a total of 29 points, single-handedly outscoring Memphis’ weakened bench, who only managed 24 points. Hachimura also pulled down six rebounds and nailed five 3-pointers out of six attempts, finishing 11-for-14 overall. As a result, LeBron James couldn’t help but praise his performance.
“James observed the kind of player he is, but sees potential for greatness. “For us to achieve our goal, he needs to play a significant role,” James added.
Acquired from Washington in January, the fourth-year forward became the first Laker to score 25 points or more off the bench in the postseason since [drum roll] Magic Johnson in 1996. Reaves, meanwhile, had never scored 14 points in a quarter during 125 previous NBA games.
Davis contributed 22 points, 12 rebounds, seven blocks, and three steals, while James scored 21. For the first time since 1988, when Abdul-Jabbar, Scott, Worthy, and Johnson achieved the feat, the Lakers had four players scoring 20 or more points in a playoff game.
3. Memphis’ D deserved a D
The discussion about playoff inexperience seems to be exaggerated. Even though James (11,035) had spent more than double the time in NBA playoffs compared to the whole Grizzlies roster (5,176), it didn’t put Hachimura (173) and Reaves (0) at any disadvantage.
On the other hand, the Grizzlies’ lack of experience was evident in their poor defensive performance where they failed to hinder L.A. significantly. Memphis was outperformed in rebounds at both ends. The Lakers benefitted from their offensive rebounding, gaining a 22-10 advantage in second-chance points. They managed to score at a rate of 53.3% against the Grizzlies’ defense, which was the best in the NBA and set a franchise record by limiting opponents to a 45.3% shooting percentage during the regular season.
Their strategy to defeat the Lakers by outpacing them on the court and creating easy scoring opportunities backfired significantly. This is evident as the Lakers ended up leading with a 26-17 advantage in fast-break points.
We won’t fault Memphis for the end-game collapse – with the Lakers scoring the last 15 points – because Morant’s injury visibly deflated his team and the atmosphere. Even when considering the heavy defensive focus on Davis and James, which provided chances for Reaves and Hachimura, the defense that takes pride in its aggression and precision still lacked these qualities.
Jenkins stated, “We’re going to struggle no matter what we do in the half court if we surrender 50 points in transition and rebounds. Our game plan’s priorities weren’t executed properly: getting back, implementing our half-court defense, and securing rebounds.”
4. Grizzlies’ bright spot: Jaren Jackson Jr.
In Game 1, Jaren Jackson Jr. was the only standout for Memphis, scoring 31 points.
In his 17 prior playoff appearances, Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. has struggled with fouls, experiencing foul trouble (four or more) in 13 games and fouling out three times. Consequently, his average playoff playing time (27.6 minutes) is slightly less than his 28.4 average for this season. This issue significantly affects the Grizzlies, as they lose their top defender for approximately 20 crucial minutes each game.
On this occasion, Jackson stayed in the game for more than 37 minutes, which is his second longest duration in his playoff career. He managed to reach halftime with only one foul and led all players in scoring with 19 points up to that point. As a leading contender for the Kia Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson blocked two shots and scored 31 points, just two points short of his personal record set during Game 1 against Golden State the previous year.
“Jenkins said it’s evident that they’ll likely start using double teams against him.”
They must. When the Lakers assigned James to guard him, Jackson didn’t hesitate to challenge the all-time great by attacking inside with a post-up.
“Jackson stated, “I’m exposed to a variety of coverages. I’m unsure about their preferred choice, but it’s essential to utilize your counter strategies. Whatever approach they decide on, they’ll execute it. I’m likely going to attempt to diversify my strategies. They have an entire coaching team on their side.”
5. Reminder: Father Time is undefeated
In the end, none of us can escape it, not even those who have achieved the esteemed “GOAT” title. A minor error, a touch of exhaustion, missed goals, and the like. Time doesn’t make exceptions for anyone.
LeBron? Absolutely not. He appeared as his timeless, formidable self, accumulating 21 points, securing 11 rebounds, delivering five assists, obtaining two steals, and pursuing three blocked shots.
In this instance, Rong Niu, popularly known as “Red Panda”, had a challenging night. As one of the NBA’s most beloved and enduring halftime performers, Niu was at the top of her game, expertly riding her tricycle and flipping cereal bowls from one corner of the FedEx Forum court to the other.
The sound of a few metal bowls clattering followed. Then a few more. Niu persisted, attempting thrice to perfect the arrangement – or in her context, stacking the bowls – before the court was required for the second half of warmups. Although her turnovers nearly equaled the hometown Grizzlies’ fifteen, she still received a hearty round of applause.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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