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The LA Lakers claimed a 128-112 victory and home-court advantage in Game 1 on Sunday, stunning the Memphis Grizzlies. Heading into Game 2 on Wednesday, Memphis will look to even the series and regain momentum before traveling to Los Angeles for games 3 and 4.
This is a must-win game for the Memphis Grizzlies, while the LA Lakers will look to retain the upper hand and take a big step towards the Western Conference semifinals.
With that in mind, let's take a look at three things we should pay attention to heading into Wednesday's game.
#1, Ja Morant's status and Memphis Grizzlies' Plan B
Ja Morant, dealing with a hand injury, is a game-time decision for Wednesday night's game. The All-Star guard suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter on Sunday after falling awkwardly on the floor while attacking the basket. He had X-rays that came back negative and underwent medical tests that showed no serious damage to his hand (breaks or fractures).
As the Grizzlies announced, Morant re-aggravated a hand injury he suffered in early April and his status remains up in the air.
"He's dealing with some pain and soreness. Symptoms are slightly improving from the other night," Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said after Tuesday's practice. "He's going to come in and get working in the morning and test it out. See how he's feeling."
Ja Morant had 18 points and six rebounds on 8-for-14 shooting, and Memphis will need to make adjustments should the young guard be unavailable. Meanwhile, the LA Lakers are prepared to deal with these adjustments and expect Morant to play eventually.
"I mean, we're just preparing as if he's playing," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "We don't try to assume anything or try to make any predictions. We just make sure we cover Plan A, Plan B. Plan A, he plays. Plan B, what type of adjustments they'll make."
If the Memphis Grizzlies rule out Ja Morant, Jenkins will expect Tyus Jones to step up and take over, just like he did in March when Morant was suspended for eight games.
Jones had a stellar nine-game run replacing Morant, with Memphis going 6-3 and Jones averaging 16.3 points, 8.2 assists and just 1.3 turnovers. He had 10 or more assists on five occasions and posted his first career triple-double.
"Tyus has been phenomenal when he's had to step into the starting role," Jenkins said. "He'll be prepared if Ja ends up being out for (Wednesday). We've been down this road before."
#2, Memphis Grizzlies can't afford to lose again at home
The Memphis Grizzlies did their best to clinch home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs. They played consistently on both ends and comfortably finished second in the Western Conference standings.
Despite having the best home record in the regular season (35-6), it took only one game to lose the home-court advantage and have been forced to play must-win games early in the series.
"It's the first to four games for a reason," Memphis guard Desmond Bane said. "You want to win every game, but most of the time that doesn't happen. We obviously wanted to start it off with a win, but they won, and we get another opportunity on Wednesday."
If they tie the series tonight, the Memphis Grizzlies will travel to LA knowing that they need just one victory to re-claim home-court advantage. But if they go down 0-2, things will be very difficult for them, and the LA Lakers will have a chance to sweep them if they protect Crypto.com Arena.
In Game 2, defense and fast break points will be key for the Grizzlies, who can't afford to concede 128 points to the LA Lakers like they did in Game 1. An identical number Wednesday night could lead to a painful home loss.
Thus, Memphis will look to play tough defensively and steal the ball in search of easy fast break points. The Western Conference powerhouse ranks second in the league for fast break points per game, averaging 18, with Desmond Bane leading the team with an average of seven.
#3, LA Lakers aim to continue their impressive run
The LA Lakers struggled for the majority of the regular season, but managed to survive the play-in tournament and claim the seventh seed.
They have been playing great basketball over the past month or so, winning eight of their last 10, averaging 123.2 points, 47.6 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 6.5 steals and 5.8 blocks per game, while shooting 50.6%.
They have also improved their numbers on defense, conceding just 116.6 pppg and holding their opponents to 46.9% in shooting (ninth best for points allowed in the West, per Basketball Forever).
Role players like Roi Hachimura (29 points, on 11-for-14 shooting, Game 1) and Austin Reaves have stepped up and have helped LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and surprisingly the LA Lakers look like a contender lately.
The 17-time NBA champions will look for identical numbers on Wednesday, which will bring them closer to a second straight triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies.
