They have no Anthony Davis and they continue to raise doubts. Winning four games in a row is a good taste of the elite, to which the Lakers belong by definition, but you should not shout from the rooftops that you have returned when someone, at the slightest bump, can derail you. This is what is happening with the inconsistency of this team, still far from what the pedigree of the various legends on their squad dictates. The Grizzlies have given them a heavy dose of reality, and the takeaway remains the same: fans should not get excited yet about the Angelenos; they have a long way to go.
Memphis was in the second game of a back-to-back after playing hours before in that same Crypto Arena against the Clippers. They had blown them out without Ja Morant, who was rested for this second Los Angeles duel, and despite the injury to Dillon Brooks in that same game. The guard will be out for about a month due to a sprained left ankle. Not even Taylor Jenkins was there, isolated at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel after testing positive for coronavirus. With Ja (16 + 5 + 7) back and maintaining the team’s spectacular form, extending their streak to nine consecutive victories, the Grizzlies leave Los Angeles with a 119-127 win against the Lakers and with the feeling that, in a playoff matchup against them right now, they would have a great chance (something that, at another time, would not even have been imaginable).
Even a good LeBron James was overwhelmed. The forward was the best player for his team, but his frustration was palpable in absurd altercations like the one he had with Desmond Bane. It did not escalate, but it is an indication. The Grizzlies did what they wanted with the Lakers starting in the second period. Vogel’s team was not completely wiped off the floor, but they made it clear that they are not at the same level right now. In addition to Morant and Bane, Jackson entered the scene, dominating in the paint with a double-double plus six blocks, making everyone want to get out of his way.
The duel was exciting, at least in the first half, but uneven like few others. It was LeBron on one side and the Grizzlies on the other. The highlight, however, was a block, and not Jackson’s: Morant, in the first period, delivered a huge two-handed block that was a statement of intent. The Grizzlies made their three-pointers, whether off well-executed plays to find the open shooter or not. James had to improvise and even rely on luck, like on his one-legged three-pointer off the glass before the break. The hosts withstood the push as best they could, staying within a margin of five to ten points, but the returning Kyle Anderson finally pushed the lead higher.
In the blink of an eye, due to their complete inability to contain Memphis’s attacks, the Lakers were down by more than twenty points. It could hardly be called a surprise given the level both teams have shown this season and what Lakers fans are enduring, but it was a severe punishment. The game rewarded Jenkins’s team, who are having a fantastic campaign and are clearly on the rise. The comeback attempt by the Angelenos saw them cut a nearly thirty-point deficit to just seven at the end, a detail that ultimately had zero effect on the outcome. Vogel’s men never had a real chance to get close enough to scare them during the second half. It is a result that reveals many truths about the Western Conference.