“They ought to be ashamed of themselves” – NBA Twitter SLAM Lakers for losing to Ja Morant-less Grizzlies
"Morantless" Memphis Grizzlies handed the LA Lakers a brutal defeat to equalize the series as the series now stand at 1-1.
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Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) talks to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) during the second half of Game 2 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
The Memphis Grizzlies faced off against Los Angeles Lakers, looking to even the series and bounce back from their Game 1 defeat. They were playing without their star Ja Morant but managed to defeat the Lakers by a 10-point margin, ending the game at 103-93. The Lakers, who were behind their rivals throughout the game, were hoping for a late-game comeback, eventually failing.
The Lakers conceded defeat to a “handicapped” Grizzlies team, playing without Morant, Steven Adams, and Brandon Clarke. Xavier Tillman showed up in the FedEx Forum Arena for the Grizzlies, putting up 22 points, three assists, and 13 rebounds. In a career-high performance, Tillman dominated the court all-round, pushing his team through a seemingly “do or die” situation.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane shone for the Grizzlies with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Dillon Brooks also had his moment in the game as he stared down LeBron James after drilling a 3-pointer. Though he didn’t manage to get a reaction from Bron that time, the duo later chirped some heated words to each other.
As usual, LeBron James handled the burden for the Lakers, but it got too heavy this time. He led the way for his team with 28 points, three assists, and 12 rebounds. Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis followed with 20 and 14 points, respectively, in an underwhelming performance. Hachimura also became the first player since Magic Johnson to score 20 points coming off the bench in back-to-back playoff games.
With the series now deadlocked at 1-1, the teams will now travel to Los Angeles for Game 3 and Game 4.
Grizzlies Fans rejoice as Memphis beat LA Lakers to equalize the series
To the surprise of many, Grizzlies took a dub in Grind-City, evening the series at 1-1. Lakers fans who were hoping for a smooth cruise against Grizzlies will now have to enter the deep waters.
The Grizzlies started off shaky in the contest but got into a rhythm after a Dillon Brooks slam dunk. Furthermore, Desmond Bane’s aggressive defense made scoring difficult for the Lakers. Memphis dominated the first half, leading 59-44. Xavier Tillman scored Memphis’ first seven points of the second half, but the Lakers went on a 14-3 run to cut the lead down to nine.
The Grizzlies responded with Jaren Jackson’s scoring and led by 12 going into the final quarter. Memphis’ defense helped maintain their lead in the fourth, and they were able to fend off a Lakers comeback attempt to win 103-93 and tie the series 1-1, even without Ja Morant playing.
Grizzlies fans rejoiced as their team won, flooding Twitter with brilliant reactions, while Lakers fans were disheartened. Take a look at a few of these reactions.
Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers will face off in Game 3 of this series back in LA on the 22nd of April. With the series now equalized, the fight will get more challenging.
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Harshit Singh
(434 Articles Published)