After grinding for months to secure their playoff spot, the Los Angeles Lakers have officially earned their first playoff win of the year and it’s sure to have the Grizzlies on their toes for the rest of the series.
The upset came thanks to huge performances from Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Anthony Davis (who grabbed 12 rebounds in the game). LeBron finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Lakers close out on a 15-0 run to steal Game 1 in Memphis 😱 pic.twitter.com/iS4j6Nim9k
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2023
As the Grizzlies wait for word on the injury to Ja Morant, Lakers fans feel they’ve already taken control of the series, and many are looking ahead to future matchups.
Austin Reaves in the Lakers Locker room: pic.twitter.com/p77HOs2fKh
— The Pettiest Laker Fan 🤫 (@ThePettiestLA) April 16, 2023
LAKERS TAKE GAME 1 pic.twitter.com/XIGHrLvAIw
— Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) April 16, 2023
Some fans even pulled out the receipts and started calling out the doubters after just one playoff win.
Aye @stephenasmith remember that shit you said , keep that same energy #lakeshow
— The Black Sheep (@MichelinMan23) April 16, 2023
Anthony Davis, despite a concerning injury scare in the first half, finished the game well and was widely praised and adored for the performance.
I don’t give a damn what the boxscore reflects
The version of Anthony Davis we saw today is arguably the best two-way player on the planet
Total domination
— LAbound (@LAbound2) April 16, 2023
One person gave a special shout-out to the supporting cast, who stepped up in a huge way amid a mediocre performance from LeBron.
Grizzlies decided that if the Lakers role players can beat them they would live with it and that’s exactly what happened
— Bryson Wright (@BrysonWright3) April 16, 2023
Lakers Nation will no doubt be sleeping well tonight, but the job is not yet finished. With just one game in the books, we can expect the Grizzlies to come out with a vengeance to defend their home court in Game 2 and avoid going to Los Angeles in a two-game hole.
Lakers Are A Threat To Win The Title
While many fans are still unsure about the true potential of the Lakers, they proved today that they can go toe-to-toe against anybody, even the 2nd seed in the West, on their home court.
Some, like Draymond Green, called it from the very beginning.
“Ja Morant loves to get to the paint and you got a shot-blocker like AD at the rim,” said Green. “You got Jarred Vanderbilt muckin’ stuff up, LeBron muckin’ stiff up. I probably should be careful with giving someone some bulletin board material because this would be our next opponent when we take care of our business, but I think the Lakers will take this series. I think it’ll be an upset. It will not be easy… but I think the Lakers may take this series.”
The mark of a true champion is not letting a win lower the urgency, and LeBron will no doubt be leading by example in Game 2 as the Lakers work to go up 2-0 in the series.
But today, fans are going to savor the victory and how far they’ve come to put themselves in this position.
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