The Lakers were able to take a Game 1 victory behind two role players and the usual Lebron James and Anthony Davis performances.
The Los Angeles Lakers went on the road on Sunday and beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 128-112.
In a game where multiple role players stepped up, the Lakers were able to win despite Anthony Davis having an injury scare late in the first half.
This was a game that the Lakers played well in for three quarters, with their only real sloppy quarter happening in the second quarter.
3 Lakers who stepped up for Game 1 victory over Grizzlies
Rui Hachimura
Considering it was the playoffs, this was Hachimura’s best game he has ever played. He scored 29 points which is one point shy of his career-high when he scored 30 points on the Wizards in the regular season.
Hachimura had 15 of his points off three-pointers. It felt like he was making every three-pointer he was attempting. He was also able to play very solid inside the three-arc offensively.
Austin Reaves
Another role player for the Lakers was able to show up and perform in the victory. Reaves was able to use his playmaking ability to create inside the paint and get by defenders on his way to 23 points on 61 percent shooting.
Reaves was able to control the pace and dominate offensively. Toward the end of the regular season, he was able to get buckets like this when LeBron James was out. Some of what is he able to create offensively is foul-baiting but he is creating buckets.
While Hachimura is most likely will regress next game and some of his hot three-point shooting isn’t sustainable for multiple games, Reaves’ production in this game and during the regular season is very capable of happening again.
The Lebron James/Anthony Davis duo
Despite the solid game from role players, wins in the playoffs for the Lakers are always gonna come from James and Davis.
Both players had a solid game as Lebron James ended up with 21 points on 50 percent shooting. Darvin Ham had a weird rotation in the first quarter which forced Lebron to miss a huge chunk of the first quarter but the King was still able to capitalize.
James ended up with 11 rebounds as well in a game where he was able to produce.
Despite missing the end of the first half due to an arm injury scare, Davis was able to score 22 points and get 12 rebounds as well. He was very solid on the defensive end and the Lakers would have really benefited from Ham putting AD on Jaren Jackson Jr. for more of the game.
With Ja Morant at least playing through an injury for the rest of the series, the Grizzlies are in serious trouble and need to win Game 2 to make sure this series doesn’t go to LA with the Lakers having a chance to sweep.
Hachimura will cool down from three in Game 2 but Reaves should play as well as he did on Sunday. Plus, D’Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder should not struggle from three and get in foul trouble as they did in Game 1.
Things are getting scary in Memphis.
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