Memphis -- The Los Angeles Lakers led the Memphis Grizzlies by six points in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Game 1 of their first-round series. LeBron James and Anthony Davis each shot once in the first 11 minutes of the fourth quarter.
A bench player and a two-year-old undrafted player led L.A. to a 128-112 win. Rui Hachimura tied Mychal Thompson's Lakers playoff record with nine fourth-quarter points. Austin Reaves scored 23 points.
Including nine straight late in the fourth, going 5-for-5. It was our supporting cast that won us the game tonight," said James, who had 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. The Lakers needed extra effort at halftime.
Davis, who became the first player since Tim Duncan nearly 20 years ago to post a 22-point, 12-rebound, 7-block, 3-steal postseason statline, left the game late in the second quarter with a right shoulder stinger. At the time, the Lakers were behind by six. When Hachimura shot 4-for-4 from three in the.
Final six seconds of the third quarter, L.A. regained control. They were all shots that the fourth-year forward, who was acquired in a trade with Washington in late January, said he deliberately worked before the series, with Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy researching the Grizzlies' defensive openings that.
Hachimura could target. Hachimura stated, "I have to be ready to shoot those kind of shots because of the way they guard me, they're going to be in the paint." Desmond Bane of the Grizzlies acknowledged this while posing a challenge to Hachimura in Game 2. That.
was our game plan going in -- make him hit shots, and he did," Bane said. "Raise your hat. He had maybe his finest game of his career today. Seven games make up the series. Wednesday, let's see if he can repeat it.