The Los Angeles Lakers came into Game 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies looking to win the series. Instead, they fell in a 116-99 blowout.
LeBron James had a very poor outing, shooting just 5-of-17 from the field and committing five turnovers, and he was brutally honest about how he played while promising to put forth a better performance in Game 6.
LeBron James: "Tonight I was shit, and I'll be better in Game 6."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) April 27, 2023
James played 45 minutes in L.A.’s Game 4 overtime win, and fatigue seems to be an issue with him recently. On Wednesday, he wasn’t the force he usually is off the dribble. He took a lot of outside shots, but he couldn’t get it done in that department, as he missed all but one of his nine 3-point attempts.
The Lakers trailed for most of the game, and although they made a run early in the third quarter to come to within one point, they simply didn’t have a great chance of actually pulling ahead and building a lead with James playing well beneath his standards.
Anthony Davis, who had a bad outing in Game 4, was dominant from start to finish with 31 points and 19 rebounds, but no one else was a consistent offensive threat for Los Angeles.
On the other side, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies’ talented starting backcourt, played outstanding ball, scoring 31 and 33 points, respectively. Both of them also came down with 10 rebounds each. The Lakers simply couldn’t find a way to contain either of them, even after holding Morant down very well in Game 4.
The series will now move back to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles for Game 6, which will take place on Friday, and it has suddenly gotten a lot more interesting.
While the Lakers are the early favorites to win and put the series away, another win by the Grizzlies could tip the scales in their favor for Game 7, especially if James has another subpar game on the road in Tennessee with the series up for grabs.
