LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers won Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies to start their 2023 NBA playoffs campaign.
James has played in the playoffs for the majority of his career and has a tendency to take his game to the next level in the postseason. It is evident from the fact that LeBron has a 27-2 record in a playoff series when he wins Game 1.
The King has won 19 consecutive series when he takes a lead in the opening game of a playoff series. Speaking of the times when James lost, the first time it happened was in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics. The series finished 4-2 in favor of Boston.
In the following year, LeBron James joined the Miami Heat, but he ended up losing the 2011 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. During the finals, the James-led Heat won Game 1, but the Mavs won the series 4-2.
The Los Angeles Lakers Can Cause An Upset vs. The Memphis Grizzlies
The 2023 Los Angeles Lakers are widely regarded as the underdogs vs. the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. Despite that, the Lakers won Game 1 behind strong defensive performances from LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Although the Grizzlies are still looked at as the favorites to make a comeback in the series, their chances have significantly dropped to win Game 2. The reason is obviously Ja Morant’s availability being in doubt after injuring himself in Game 1.
“It’s a competitive advantage in the playoffs to not let your opponent know who may or may not be playing. But I think certainly for Ja Morant… he talked about it yesterday, how much pain he was in, leaving the game. It was already a hand that was wrapped and then re-injured it. The Grizzlies know that if he doesn’t play Wednesday, they have Tyus Jones, as good as a backup point guard in the league. There’s ‘significant doubt’ Ja Morant will be available for Game 2.”
Ja Morant is the backbone of the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Lakers will take complete advantage of his potential absence in the second game of the series.
Evidently, it will aid LeBron James in keeping his streak of winning the playoff series after winning Game 1 of the series.
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