The Los Angeles Lakers are looking at their first second-round appearance since the 2020 playoffs after taking a 3-1 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
LeBron James had a rough offensive night but ended up making the biggest plays of the game to get the Lakers the win, along with pulling down 20 rebounds. He spoke to Chris Haynes after the game and reiterated his desire to make the game easier for his teammates.
“We got a lot of young guys, I understand that it’s my job to make sure they’re even keel. One game is not going to define the whole series. We have to be better. I want everyone to be comfortable when we go on the floor and just play free. Let me worry about the Xs and Os and the tactical things and all the other stuff, I can do that, I have the ability to do that.”
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James also praised D’Angelo Russell for hitting clutch threes in the fourth quarter to bring the Lakers into a position to take the game to OT. LeBron did that by hitting a clutch shot with 0.8 seconds left to tie the game before he hit the game-clinching shot in OT to give the Lakers a 5-point lead with less than 40 seconds on the clock.
LeBron James Closes Out When They Needed Him Most
The Lakers played with energy and hustle in OT before LeBron James hit the shot that gave them enough of a lead to seal the win. He commented on the same during the post-game interview with Haynes.
“At the end of the day, we got some good stops in that overtime, which we needed. I wanted to try and take as much time to get a good shot, the best shot I could to not allow them to go in transition. I was able to drive left, I felt Dillon grab my arm, and I was able to kiss it off the glass over J-Jack. Great play for us.”
The Lakers head back to Memphis for Game 5, where they can book their place in the second round with a win. The series is not over, but the Lakers will try and prioritize getting rest before possibly facing the Kings or Warriors in the second round.
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