Even though the opponent did not have the team’s number 1 star, Ja Morant, the Los Angeles Lakers still could not win and let Memphis equalize the series score 1-1.

The Los Angeles Lakers had a golden opportunity to take the initiative in the first round Playoffs series against the Memphis Grizzlies. However, they inexplicably wasted it.

Despite missing the team’s No. 1 star, Ja Morant (wrist injury), Memphis still won 103-93 against the Los Angeles Lakers to equalize the series score 1-1.

Knowing that the Memphis Grizzlies are playing at home, the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers cannot defeat their opponents is still a surprise to fans.

Xavier Tillman led the Grizzlies with a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds. Defensive Player of The Year Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.

LeBron James still shined as usual for the yellow and purple team, scoring 28 points and 12 rebounds. That wasn’t enough on a day when Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell played below form.

Both showed a complete contrast compared to Game 1, Russell scored 5 points with 2-11 FG, and Anthony Davis had 13 points (4-14 FG) and 8 rebounds.

Sharing about the decision to let Ja Morant rest in Game 2, Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said: “This is a decision that has the consensus of many people and is the safest move”.

Replacing Ja Morant in the Memphis squad is Tyus Jones. Although this defender did not score as explosively as Morant, he had an impressive game in charge, scoring 10 points with 8 assists, 6 rebounds and exactly 1 turnover the whole match.

Tyus Jones replaced Ja Morant (right) and played well to help the Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Los Angeles Lakers

Advanced statistics show that Tyus is the NBA’s top player in assist-to-turnover for five consecutive seasons, showing that he is a very good ball-keeping defender and rarely makes mistakes.

“They are still extremely dangerous when Tyus appears in the starting lineup. They don’t lose their rhythm and are not affected by whether Ja Morant plays or not”, LeBron James said about the Memphis Grizzlies after the defeat in Game 2.

TURNOVER MAKES LAKERS ENTRY BAD

Looking at the score of the 4 rounds, no team scored more than 4 points more than the opponent except for the 1st half. That’s where the Memphis Grizzlies started with a 30-19 advantage and soon rose to a 20-point lead.

The reason lies in the 5 lost balls that the Los Angeles Lakers had in the first half alone, which the Memphis Grizzlies took full advantage of and converted into 10 points.

“Those turnovers made the whole team lose their rhythm and it took some time for everyone to regain their spirit”, coach Darvin Ham shared.

Many Lakers players played below their strength on offense today, especially Anthony Davis with only 14 points (4-14 FG)

Los Angeles Lakers many times narrowed the gap to 5 or 7 points, but they were unable to fill the huge score hole that appeared in the first half of the match.

Besides Rui Hachimura (7-12 FG, 20 points) and LeBron James (28 points, 12-23 FG, 1-8 3PT), no other Lakers player stood out. The away team’s 3-point shooting rate was only 26.9% (7-26 3PT).

*****

After the first two matches at the Memphis Grizzlies, the series score is now 1-1. The chance to win is still divided equally between both teams, but the Los Angeles Lakers have an advantage thanks to winning an away match.

In the next two games, the series will be moved to Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers’ home stadium. Games 3 and 4 of this series will take place on April 23 and April 25, respectively.