When an NBA team has the opportunity to close out its opponent in a playoff series, it must do so right away.
For one, it doesn’t want to give its opponent any confidence. For another, anything can happen the longer a series goes on.
Buy Lakers TicketsThat’s the scenario the Los Angeles Lakers faced on Wednesday in Game 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
They fell behind by 17 in the second quarter, but came within one point in the third quarter. Suddenly, it looked as if they were intent on taking care of business then and there. Instead, the roof caved in late in the third quarter when Memphis went up by 18. For all intents and purposes, the game was over by the start of the fourth period.
The series heads back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Friday evening after the Lakers fell in Game 5, 116-99. Many figure the Lakers will win on Friday; they’re the early favorites. The Grizzlies were 16-25 on the road in the regular season, the second-worst road record of any team in the NBA playoffs this year.
In reality, the Purple and Gold are playing with fire.
Ja Morant had an outstanding Game 5 after a poor Game 4, scoring 31 points and adding 10 rebounds and seven assists. Meanwhile, his backcourt mate Desmond Bane had 33 points on hot shooting, just 48 hours after dropping 36 points in Game 4.
The Grizzlies are as chippy a team as the NBA has to offer, and, at least on the outside, they’re expressing the confidence of a team that believes it will not only force a Game 7 but win that seventh game.
Of course, if a Game 7 is necessary, it would be played in Memphis, where the Grizzlies had a 35-6 regular-season record, the league’s best home mark. It would also likely be played on Sunday afternoon, which would mean less than a 48-hour turnaround from Game 6.
Fatigue could be another factor for L.A. if this series goes seven. LeBron James shot just 5-of-17 in Game 5 after playing 45 minutes in Game 4, and after playing heavy minutes from late December to late February, he may not have enough left in the tank to come through in a winner-take-all contest on such short rest.
Thus, Game 6, for all intents and purposes, is a must-win game for the Lakers. Whoever wins that contest will likely end up winning this series.
