Round 1 Preview: Lakers vs Grizzlies
Twenty-seven games remain on the Lakers’ schedule and the team’s regular season goals are still the same: Secure the first seed in the Western Conference and enter the post-season with a healthy squad. Within two minutes of their Friday matchup against the Grizzlies, Anthony Davis was limping back into the locker room with an apparent leg injury.
Somewhere around the world a Lakers fan’s heart stops with every Davis limp, fall, or grimace. So much has been made about his injury history since he was acquired last summer that such reactions are no surprise. Interestingly enough, through injury Davis treats fans to something the Lakers family is all too familiar with; resiliency. Much like the immortal Kobe Bryant, AD refuses to let pain or limps keep him off the court. From his persistent shoulder injury to the occasional ankle tweak, Davis has replaced precaution with performance.
Returning in the second quarter, Davis treated the sea of applauding fans to a 28 point, 13 rebound, & 7 block explosion in only three quarters. It was the second time this season that Davis flirted with a double-digit block party.
Not one to be left out of the fun was LeBron James, who contributed maybe an even more impressive stat than Davis. James’ 11-12 free-throw outing left me dreaming of a career where he’s making 80% of them and already passed Kareem on the All-Time Scoring List. As the proverb says, “Por algo dios no les dió alas a los alacranes.” I can only hope that this is the result of some adjustment that will bleed into the rest of the season. If it does not, LeBron’s scoring aggression will be enough to cover the misses.
Much like the overtime match against Denver, the King spent his time viscously attacking the rim. With the recent trade of Jae Crowder, the Grizzlies found themselves with no viable match-ups for LeBron. Neither Dillon Brooks, nor Josh Jackson could hold their ground when the Lakers’ star decided to make a move. Leading the team to their 17th straight win when he scores 30+ points, LeBron once again proves that his team is at its best when he makes scoring a priority. His natural passing gift shines regardless, as 15 of those wins were accompanied by 7+ assists.
The Lakers now control the season series at 3–0 with only one game remaining before a potential playoff match-up. A first round meeting that is leaning towards an 8–0 sweep from what we’ve seen so far. Only in their November meeting did the Grizzlies present a challenge, behind a 10–16 shooting night for Ja Morant. A game in which Avery Bradley did not play and Jae Crowder was still wearing teal. The Lakers defensive guard makes Morant work for every drive, where he is eventually met by one or two of the Lakers’ three towers.
Not to forget Bradley’s slow rise as the team’s most consistent third scorer. He’s become a formidable foe against the Grizzlies and every other future playoff adversary.
The one destined for that third scorer role, Kyle Kuzma, finished 4–13 from the field with only eight points. He’s recently spoken about the difficulties of finding shooting opportunities on this team and in the previous four games he did not take double digit attempts. When he finds those chances, the Lakers’ forward has scored double figures in 23 out of 25 games. With his recent increase in assists and defensive effort, Kuzma may soon find the rhythm that will make his team an even more comfortable title favorite.
