Overall dominated by Lakers in this series, Grizzlies already have no choice in this Game 5: they have to win in front of their home crowd, to prevent their season from ending prematurely. They who nevertheless finished in 2nd place in the Western Conference…
Under pressure and under the obligation to win, therefore, the teammates of Desmond Bane (33 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) and Ja Morant (31 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) took this meeting by the good end by bringing it into a register that suits them. Inevitably, they quickly took control and then raced in the lead throughout the game, to head for a success that was both logical and authoritarian, despite a big Anthony Davis (31 points, 19 rebounds) in the opposing camp.
With this victory (116-99), Memphis still breathing and will try to equalize at Los Angeles in order to afford a boiling Game 7 in Tennessee.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— Memphis answered present. Collectively expected, the Grizzlies frankly did not disappoint in front of their fans. Coming to the floor with a knife between their teeth and the energy of despair, they immediately put the Lakers in difficulty, without then releasing the foot of the accelerator. We could have thought of a different scenario when Los Angeles came back to just one possession after the break, but an impressive run of… 26-2 completely changed the situation and allowed Taylor Jenkins’ players to fly towards the victoire. Without it suffering any challenge.
— Los Angeles will in turn have to ensure at home. The Grizzlies needed to win at home and now they have. The Lakers to respond to them on Friday night, once again protecting their home field advantage to join the Kings or the Warriors in the conference semifinals. To do this, the men of Darvin Ham will above all have to react in defense and set the tone in their own way, they who have found themselves letting a team play in an armchair which is never better than when it can run.
— When will adjustments be made for Los Angeles ? This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Grizzlies feast on offense, when Anthony Davis is resting and the Lakers are playing small. For this reason Darvin Ham revived Wenyen Gabriel, but it’s more a profile like Mo Bamba (or Tristan Thompson) who could prove useful on these sequences, like on the 26-2 in the third quarter. Other surprising decisions during the match: rotations without inside, minutes for the ghostly Malik Beasley and Troy Brown Jr, or the presence of the LeBron / Davis duo on the floor at -24 in the fourth quarter.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ The Morant/Bane duo. As the Grizzlies quickly looked to push the ball and pick up the pace, it allowed Ja Morant and Desmond Bane to quickly gain confidence and do damage on fast play. Bad calculation on the part of the Lakers, because the two members of the “backcourt” of Memphis then took pleasure in punishing Californian errors, in particular in transition, but also on placed play. Typically the kind of performance that we expected from the Morant / Bane pair to win and snatch a Game 6 under high tension.
✅ Anthony Davis. Connected to alternating current since the start of the series, at least on the offensive level, “AD” floated, let’s say, last night. Author of a double-double XXL, he enjoyed himself in the Memphis racket, where no one was able to answer him or even slow him down. The problem is, LeBron James disappointed and pretty much every other Los Angeles player did too, especially when Davis was resting. Difficult, in these conditions, to hope for better. Even if his efforts in defense continue to impress over the matches.
⛔ LeBron James. As since the beginning of this series, the “King” experienced a terrible lack of skill from afar (1/9…) but, unlike previous matches, he proved to be less dominant and effective inside the 3-point line (4/8), in addition to committing several damaging ball losses (5). Clearly not a performance that will remain, despite his double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists), and proof that LeBron is still far from his best level.
⛔ Dillon Brooks. Offensively, it’s always very, very complicated for the Canadian in this series, since he once again sprayed all over the place: 3/15 from the shoot, including 2/10 from 3-pointers, for only 8 small points in 30 minutes. It didn’t prove to be a problem for Memphis this time around, but if he doesn’t manage to adjust the sights a little in Game 6, we won’t necessarily be giving much of the Grizzlies’ skin, because a deft Brooks transforms the game of the team, generates spaces everywhere and opens the field for everyone. Especially if he continues to struggle at the same time in defense.
THE FOLLOWING
Game 6in Los Angeles, on the night of Friday to Saturday (04:00).
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
