Lakers crush Grizzlies in Game 6, advance to 2nd round

LOS ANGELES-- The Lakers managed their business in no unsure terms Friday night, dispatching the Memphis Grizzlies swiftly and certainly in Video game 6 of their first-round playoff series at Crypto.com Arena. It was close for a while, but then the Lakers rocketed away to the 2nd round.

The Lakers' decisive 125-85 success was classic in so many ways, not the least of which was the dominating way in which they overwhelmed a eventually overmatched but skilled opponent. The Lakers were seeded seventh and the Grizzlies were seeded 2nd. Disturbed?

Possibly. Perhaps not.

To be sure, LeBron James and Anthony Davis presented problems the short-handed Grizzlies couldn't fix at various points throughout the series, and their champion pedigree should not be overlooked in a playoff game with so much at stake. The Grizzlies, talented and young however missing two of their crucial frontcourt gamers, were unprepared for what hit them.

James scored 22 points, Davis had 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 obstructed shots, and D'Angelo Russell set a playoff career-high with 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting (5 for 9 from 3-point range) as the Lakers led by as many as 40 points. They turned a 59-42 halftime lead into a 100-67 advantage getting in the fourth quarter with an electrical 3rd.

Santi Aldama led Memphis with 16 points.

It was the Lakers' very first playoff series win on their home court considering that they beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round in 2012. The Lakers won the franchise's 17th NBA champion in 2020 in the pandemic bubble in Orlando, Fla., beating the Miami Heat with only member of the family in presence.

The Lakers advanced Friday to meet the winner of the Golden State Warriors-Sacramento Kings series in the 2nd round. The Kings required the Warriors to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento with a 118-99 triumph in Game 6 on Friday night in San Francisco.

The Lakers had actually wilted in the closing minutes of the third quarter in Game 5 in Memphis, losing to the Grizzlies and setting up what loomed as a must-win Game 6 in Los Angeles. The Lakers needed a win to prevent a Game 7 in FedEx Forum, where the Grizzlies had the best house record in the NBA this season; the Grizzlies required a win to prevent trip.

After a few moments of uncertainty Friday, the Lakers discovered a rhythm that was lacking in their 116-99 loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday. The Lakers constructed a 20-point lead late in the second quarter and seemed poised to run away with Game 6 prior to the teams could even reach halftime.

With a raucous sellout crowd of 18,997 prompting them onward and upward, the Lakers held a 59-42 lead by halftime on the strength of 59.5% shooting and a defense that limited the Grizzlies to 32.7% shooting. The Lakers' finest gamers were their best players.

James had 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting by halftime, and Davis had 11 points and 10 rebounds. What's more, Davis was at his finest when defending the Grizzlies' huge guys, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman Sr. Jackson and Tillman entered nasty problem in the second quarter and were non-factors.

Jackson had the exact same number of fouls as points (3) and Tillman had two times as lots of fouls (four) as points (two) by halftime. The Lakers capitalized by scoring 36 of their very first 59 points in the paint. The Grizzlies scored only 16 of their 42 points in the paint, relying mainly on boundary shots.

Eighteen of the Grizzlies' first-half attempts were from behind the 3-point arc.

Russell got the Lakers pointed in the right direction by scoring 10 of their very first 25 points, making five of his first seven shots and assisting them to a 25-16 lead with a 3-pointer that forced Memphis to call a timeout with 2:45 left in the first quarter. The Lakers remained in control from that point.

Russell struck 3-pointers on successive journeys early in the 3rd and Jarred Vanderbilt struck a 3rd 3 minutes later to extend the Lakers' lead to 68-45 and force the Grizzlies to take a timeout with 10:21 left in the quarter. The crowd was in a celebratory mood by then, roaring ever louder.

James and Davis have won a title together, however they had actually done little to remember in front of their house fans prior to the past two months, when their supporting cast noticeably improved at the trade due date with numerous additions headlined by Russell. The dynamic duo enhanced to 5-0 in playoff series in which they both appeared in every video game together.

Lakers fans sensed the enormity of the minute and turned out in force, highlighted by the return of the 86-year-old Jack Nicholson to his courtside seats after a nearly two-year lack.

More to come on this story.