Lakers maul Grizzlies in Game 6 to advance to next round
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 125-85 on Friday, beating Memphis 4-2 in six games to move on to the next round.
The Lakers will face either the Golden State Warriors or the Sacramento Kings in the next round after the final do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday to determine who moves on.
With the possibility of returning to Memphis for Game 7, the Lakers’ energy was high and stayed high from start to finish, scoring at will and showing dominance on the defensive end by holding the Grizzlies to 85 points.
The Lakers executed their gameplan flawlessly with the containment of the Grizzlies’ leading scorers, Ja Morant, who finished with a mere 10 points; Jarren Jackson Jr., who tallied 14 points; and Desmond Bane, who contributed 15 points.
“We set a standard for ourselves defensively; this thing is just getting started,” said head coach Darvin Ham. “We passed level one. Now we gotta start shifting our focus to whoever comes outta that game on Sunday.”
After a rocky, hot, and cold series, D’Angelo Russell redeemed himself with an electric Game 6 performance for the Lakers, scoring a game-high 31 points on 5-for-9 shooting from three and 12-for-17 overall.
Anthony Davis’ 26 blocks in the entire series against the Grizzlies were tied for the second most in a playoff series in Lakers history.
The biggest moment came midway into the third quarter when Davis caught a lob from Dennis Schröder off a pick and roll. Davis slammed it down so hard that it made Grizzlies Jackson Jr. fall, and you could see Schröder and Russell point at Jackson Jr. right after the slam. The roar that followed the dunk from the Lakers' crowd fueled them, as they kept their momentum going till the final horn.
“We fed off our fans once again and tried to give back the energy,” said LeBron James.
Davis finished the night with a +31 plus/minus outing with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks while shooting 66.6% from the field on 6-for-9.
In his Hall of Fame career, LeBron added another feat to his playoff career, tying Derek Fisher for the most playoff series wins by a player in the history of the NBA with 40.
LeBron finished second on the team with 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting overall from the field, notching six assists and five blocks in 31 minutes of action.
Despite just scoring 11 points, Austin Reaves gave the Lakers a spark outside of scoring with eight assists, six rebounds, and two blocks in 33 minutes.
Securing a victory in Game 6 was crucial for the Lakers, not only to avoid a Game 7 but also to gain some valuable benefits. The win provided the Lakers with an extra day of rest, allowing them more time to prepare for their next series against either the Kings or Warriors. The Lakers now hold an advantage, with the winner of the Kings/Warriors series having only one day to rest and prepare for the Lakers in Game 1. This additional rest and strategic advantage could be significant as the Lakers move forward in the playoffs.
Game 1 of the next round will be on the road in northern California on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. against the Warriors or Kings on Spectrum SportsNet and TNT.
