The Grizzlies eventually managed to lose against the Lakers as Lebron did what he does best and that is win all his team games, almost single-handedly, and scored baskets at the very last moment. Many would see this as trouble but the team, which has arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, could never be called underdog. Lebron and Davies have all Lakers fans anticipating a win yet again, just like in 2020. Maybe the old guards of the game can take the team on a dream run and succeed in winning their eighteenth title which would put them above Celtics in all-time championships.
The Lakers did not have much of a home advantage over the Grizzlies but winning a game out of the first two in the FedExForum court on the road was huge for them, and they made it look easy with a 128-112 triumph. The playoffs debutant Austin Reaves shined for them as he finished with twenty-three points, on the other hand, Rui Hachimura had the most for the team with twenty-nine. However, the Grizzlies were able to level the game in the second round as they won 103-93.
For them, their star player was Xavier Tillman as he dominated the game with thirteen rebounds and twenty-two points. On the other hand, Lebron for the Lakers finished the day with the best stats of twenty-eight points and twelve rebounds. With the series now tied it seemed like it was going to be quite an interesting, seven-game series. The Lakers returned to their home ground in game three and Anthony Davis bounced back after his poor performance in the previous games. But it was still Davis and Lebron in the spotlight as they showed why they are still the best in the business.
The Lakers began with a massive lead of 35-8 in the first quarter, and it was clear that the Grizzlies were going to have a tough time with their comeback. The game finished with a massive 111-101 victory for the Lakers. Game four was insane as a determined Lebron scored a lay-up in the dying moments of the game and forced OT, where the Lakers won 13-7 and the overall game ended 117-11.
Lebron became the talk all over the media as this was his first game that had twenty more rebounds and points, and there he was, a thirty-eight-year-old man in his twentieth year as an NBA player. It sounds pretty insane. Sportsbook Review sites have seen an increase in futures wagers on Lebron being the 2023 Finals MVP. The odds are pretty large so that would be quite the prognostication if it came true.
Now with a 3-1 lead in the series, everyone hoped for the Lakers to close out round two in game five, but Desmond Bane and Ja Morant did not let that happen as they both finished with thirty-plus points and it became an easy 116-99 win for the Grizzlies. Game six is where the Lakers won dominantly with forty points; it was as if the Grizzlies didn’t even try to win. D’Angelo Russel was the main man this time as he scored thirty-one points and the series was closed out with a tremendous scoreline of 125-85.
Now we wait for the real show, Lebron versus Curry in the Western Conference semifinals.
We might just get to see who can get the better of the other this time around. We have seen them a lot in the past decade and these are two very important players when it comes to defining this era. People should be thankful that they get to see such an elite competition between the renowned legends of basketball. The Lakers are probably feeling very confident because of their success, and so are the Warriors. Although the Warriors do have benefits with the home advantage, it will be quite an exciting series between the two.
The Lakers will now face the Nuggets for a shot to play in the championship series.. They are playing inspired basketball and nobody in the league wants to play them right now.