The Lakers take advantage despite a colossal Morant in a hot and controversial duel

They go up Lakers while the temperature rises in the series against the Memphis Grizzlies or, rather, what will be a serial and that’s it. Pure fire for the irreverences of the bully Dillon Brooks with his King, the formerly called Staples Center bustled with the victory of his team to make it 2-1 (111-101) and it finished igniting with Brooks’s rude attack on LeBron, who received a ‘caress’ from his declared new ‘hater’ in the noble parts with which the forward went into the street between whistles. A while later, scuffle between Rui Hachimura y David Roddy. A frenetic and emotional contest with a lot of spice but also a lot of basketball, which they put on everything a volcanic Ja Morant with a sterile but captivating delivery of 45 points -23 in the last quarter- and 13 assists, and Anthony Davis with 31 points and 17 rebounds.

The Grizzlies, above all concerned about a Morant who returned but limped off his left leg after a bad footstep, They must ask themselves what is the point of Brooks overacting as he does beyond the little that he is getting on the floor right now, barely 7 points after a fatal 3/13 shooting before receiving the flagrant 2 at the beginning of the last quarter for his attack on LeBron -25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists-, and being sent off.

That ‘anti-hero’ character in which he feels so comfortable, annoying celebrities by profession, does not play in favor of the likeable image of youth, fun and vitality that these young Grizzlies broadcast without thirty-somethings in their group and anticipates defeats. ‘Cause Memphis lost it all in a dilapidated first room -35-9-, burned by a crypto.com Arena and some Lakers all erupting energy due to Brooks’ rebuff with his ‘King’ -he called him “old man”-, who shared some friendly words with the controversial forward before the match .

“Me? A statement? Hahaha, I don’t need to make any statement, my resume speaks for itself”

LeBron James

Pero ‘The King’, en a symbolic and symptomatic beginning It was no coincidence, he wanted to mark territory, signing his team’s first basket against the Grizzlies player. “If I wanted to make a statement? Me? I’ve dealt with this for a long time, I don’t need to make any statement, my resume speaks for itself, we just had to play well and win,” LeBron replied, with an ironic smile after the meeting asked by Brooks.

santi Aldama, who opened the can of triples for his team, did not have his best night, with 6 points with his 2/7 shooting and his 2/4 from the perimeter and 2 rebounds in 11 minutes. Memphis got to within 10 after just over two minutes with Morant on fire – his were 23 of the last 25 points for those of Jenkins-, but the triple missed by the point guard that could have put the Tennessees within 7 was decisive. The All-Star finished with a 13/26 shooting and a phenomenal 6/10 3-pointer.

The rush of rage of the Lakers engulfed the Grizzlies, more mature but still tender to withstand such overwhelming starts like this. A step forward in character but also in the tactical sense, mass transitions but also sowing confusion those in purple and gold in the static attack with a parade of double locks in the header with different finishes, continuation of Davis, LeBron cut from behind taking advantage of the space in paint or finishing the handler himself, D’Angelo Russell, revitalized with 17 points and 7 assists.

In Memphis they will wonder why ‘the hell’ they couldn’t do in the first quarter what they did in the other three to release Morant, entangled in the same mistake as in the first match -only 18 goals-, in the first quarter, crashing with the defense of some Lakers who planted are the zone with Davis as anchor. The point guard -only 4 goals in the first 12 minutes-, annoyed by the sticky defense of Vanderbiltstumbled over and over again with the ‘Eyebrow’ at the start of the ‘pick and roll’, indecisive and missing shots.

But everything changed especially in the second half, freeing Memphis to that rampant Morant not only to the counterattack based on his defensive improvement, but of a varied assortment in five against five, coming into play from one to one, playing ‘pick and roll’ with other players that didn’t involve Davis, quickly taking out to the perimeter if he saw that he couldn’t attack the rim with the center in front, showing off in the triple with all the doubts that this caused in the way the Lakers defended him.

The Grizzlies, also hurt by Brooks’s chained misses, settled down after the deficit touched the 30 points –44-15 at the beginning of the second quarter-, but they could never stop Davis, with whom they once again have a problem after managing to nullify him in the second clash with the 12 points with which the powerful interior finished.

In a constant state of grace, they went back to saying their thing Rui Hachimura from the bench with 16 points, as well as Austin Reaves, with 13. Enough to make up for a 7/28 in triples, a 0/4 for a ‘Bron’ with a 10/20 in shots.

The ‘Eyebrow’ showed that, when the track is spaced well, it is indefensible when he decides to look at the hoop, imposing himself on Tillman by force and on several occasions by Best Defender of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr, with physique but also with beautiful and virtuous footwork. And since he cannot live without suffering a single mishap, he came to bleed on his lip after a blow.

Next appointment, Monday with the Grizzlies urged to change things to avoid returning to Memphis with a dangerous 3-1. The first thing to change, the ‘bad boy’ delusions of Dillon Brooksa good bulldog as a great defender and competitor that he is but right now without a leash.

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