Game: Los Angeles Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Odds: Lakers -1, Grizzlies +1
Total: 227
When the Los Angeles Lakers (45-39 SU, 41-41-2 ATS) take the court at FedExForum on Wednesday for Game 2 of their opening round NBA playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies (51-32, 37-44-2) they will be looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.
The Lakers have now won 11 of 13 games after shocking the Grizzlies with a crushing 128-112 victory in Game 1 of the series on Sunday. The Grizzlies, who were the NBA’s best when playing at home this season, have now dropped two of their last four home games while going 3-5 SU overall, and they have covered just three of their last 10 home games.
The Lakers took control of the fourth quarter in Game 1 after being involved in a seesaw battle for the first three periods, clinching their victory with a 15-0 run in the closing minutes. The victory gave them their third Game 1 victory in their last four playoff series, and it puts them in a good position to extend their current SU win streak in Game 2 situations to six games.
The health of Anthony Davis, however, will probably be a deciding factor in this team’s future success. The star big man put on another outstanding performance in Game 1, particularly in the paint, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Over his last eight games, AD has now racked up an average of 13.5 boards. Davis was forced to leave Game 1 due to an arm injury. He is listed as probable for tonight.
Rui Hachimura led the way off the bench in Game 1 with 29 points, and LeBron James also had a double-double. The 25-year-old Hachimura only reached double digits in five of his previous 12 games.
With Sunday’s loss in Game 1, the Grizzlies continued a long-standing pattern of giving opponents an early series advantage in playoff games. With the loss, the Grizzlies have now gone 2-11 SU in their last 13 Game 1 appearances, and during that time, they have only twice come back from losing Game 1 to win a series.
The Grizzlies situation is made even worse by star Ja Morant. Morant had already become a distraction due to his recent dubious behavior off the court when he was forced to leave Game 1 due to a hand injury. Although the team has attempted to downplay his condition, Morant publicly admitted after the game that he is in “a good bit of pain” and that his participation in Game 2 is “in jeopardy.” He is listed as questionable for tonight. Big man Jaren Jackson Jr. took the offensive reins with Morant out. In his last five games, Jackson has averaged 37.2 points, including a game-high 31 points on Sunday.
The Lakers have blazed their path into the playoffs with steady performances in crunch time; if they are to take a 2-0 lead in this series, they must carry on this trend. During their current 11-2 SU run, the team has outscored opponents in the final frame 12 times, outscoring them by an average of 5.7 points.
If Morant is unavailable, the Grizzlies will have a very difficult time bouncing back from their loss on Sunday given that they are already without Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke for the duration of the playoffs. This season, Morant not only led the team in points per game, but also in assists and steals. Desmond Bane needs to improve his recent scoring struggles up front. In Game 1, the 24-year-old shooting guard only made 6-of-18 shots, and over his last two games, he made just 12-of-30 field goals.
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