In an intense and emotional Game 3 against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Lakers did what they needed to do, winning by a sizable margin to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Early in the second half, Dillon Brooks was ejected after striking LeBron James below the belt, as he was assessed a flagrant 2 foul. Afterward, James didn’t seem to have a very strong opinion on whether Brooks should be suspended as a result.
LeBron on whether Dillon Brooks should be suspended, "I mean, I don't know. If he's in the lineup, if he's out of the lineup, we've gotta prepare."
— Cooper Halpern (@CooperHalpern) April 23, 2023
There has been some tension between Brooks and James during this series. In Game 2, Brooks talked some trash to the Lakers superstar. After the game, the Memphis forward took a big shot at James by calling the 38-year-old veteran “old.”
James responded well by keeping his cool and scoring a pretty efficient 25 points to power L.A. to a 111-101 victory in Game 3. Brooks, meanwhile, made just three of his 13 shots and scored seven points in 19 minutes before leaving the game.
He has a history of contentious and arguably even dirty acts, such as when he hit Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II in the head during a transition play in last year’s playoffs, which resulted in Payton fracturing his elbow. Earlier this season, Brooks hit Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell in the groin, getting himself ejected as well as suspended for one game.
The Lakers were supercharged and dominant early in Game 3, leading 35-9 after one quarter on the strength of their defense. Anthony Davis came back strong after a disappointing Game 2, putting up 31 points, 17 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Ja Morant played like a wounded animal in the final minutes, scoring a flurry of baskets to try to mount a comeback for Memphis, but it was too little, too late.
Los Angeles now has a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in Game 4, which will take place on Monday night. However, if the Grizzlies were to win and even things up, it would become a new series with a crucial Game 5 back in Memphis.
