Lakers’ Game 1 Victory Is Credited To LeBron James’ Supporting Cast

(CTN News) – On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers led the Memphis Grizzlies by six points in Game 1 of their first-round series.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis attempted just one shot each in the first 11 minutes of the final frame.

Despite this, L.A. was able to get a 128-112 win as a bench player and a guy who went undrafted two years ago took over.

The Lakers’ Rui Hachimura tied Mychal Thompson’s franchise record for most points scored by a substitute in a playoff game with nine points in the fourth. The 23 points Austin Reaves scored in the fourth quarter included nine straight points late in the period.

The game was won by our supporting cast, according to James, who scored 21 points, had 11 rebounds, and blocked three shots.

After halftime, things looked dicey for the Lakers, so their roster needed to put in an extra effort. Late in the second quarter, Davis left the game with a stinger to his right shoulder after scoring 22 points, 12 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 3 steals to become the first player since Tim Duncan nearly 20 years ago to accomplish such feat.

At the time, the Lakers were six points behind.

Hachimura scored four points in six minutes of playing time in the third quarter and Los Angeles took control of the game. It was all shots Hachimura specifically practiced coming into the series, with Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy scouting the gaps in the Grizzlies’ defense that he could use.

Hachimura said, “The way they guard me, they’re going to be in the paint, so I need to be ready to shoot those types of shots.”

In Game 2, Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane challenged Hachimura to test Hachimura’s conditioning.

Bane said that was the plan going in – make him hit shots. “Congratulations. That’s probably one of the best games he’s ever played. It’s a seven-game series. Let’s hope he does it again on Wednesday.”

He signed a two-way contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2021 after going undrafted out of Oklahoma and later became a full-fledged member before the season started.

Reaves said that he dreams of being able to perform on such a stage. Afterwards, I got hot and had fun.”

Byron Scott, James Worth, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all scored 20 or more points for the Lakers in the playoffs for the first time since May 15, 1988. Almost five points could have been added by D’Angelo Russell (19 points, seven assists).

Ten of Los Angeles’ past 12 games have been wins, including Tuesday’s play-in victory over Minnesota to secure the No. 7 seed against No. 2 Memphis. After losing to the Clippers, the Lakers’ performance against Minnesota was disjointed at best and undisciplined at worst in their final four regular-season games.

During the four-day break between the win over the Wolves and Game 1 against Memphis, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said his team recalibrated.

The last week of the season, the play-in game, possessions got away from us,” Ham said. Our offense threw away possessions without passing or passing once and then shooting.”

This team seemingly has recaptured the momentum that got it to the playoffs after James and Davis addressed the team on increased intensity in the playoffs.

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