The Los Angeles Lakers opened their playoff campaign with an impressive road win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, and according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the first-round series is already decided.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant suffered a hand injury after taking a hard fall and reaching out to brace himself. He was in a tremendous amount of pain after the incident, and Morant said his status for Game 2 was in jeopardy. The Grizzlies are already short-handed. Several key players are sidelined, but if Morant misses extended time, the Lakers would have a significant advantage.
“This series is over. As far as I’m concerned the Lakers are winning this series,” Smith said. “I think it’s done. … The bottom line is I thought that Memphis had a chance to probably win this series in seven games. It was going to take Ja Morant being the star to pull it off, but I believe he’s that kind of star that could have done it.
They have no chance as far as I’m concerned now. With Steven Adams out, with Brandon Clarke out, and then to lose Ja Morant, too? That is just entirely, entirely too much to overcome.”
