Report Card: Ja Morant exits, leading to late collapse, Lakers take Game One

The Memphis Grizzlies began their series-long battle against the always noteworthy, perpetually enthralling, and consistently dramatic, Los Angeles Lakers. In a series that’s destined to be full of excruciating highs and lows for both teams, when the clock hit zero in the fourth, anguish and distress hovered over the FedEx Forum, not only due to the 128-112 loss to go down 0-1 to start the series, but star point guard Ja Morant exited with a hand injury in the fourth quarter. Here’s how the Grizzlies crew did as a whole along with a few of its main cast members:   

Ja Morant: Incomplete

The Grizzlies star started the game off with a few acrobatic layups, but as the first quarter continued, Los Angeles made a concerted effort to deny Morant opportunities for him to be explosive. After a lousy turnover by LeBron James in the second quarter, Morant threw down a slam that energized the crowd, leading to a Lakers timeout to try to stop a 7-0 Grizzlies run. Morant hit two huge threes and a mid-range jumper in the third quarter that helped Memphis get out of an offensive rut and keep up with the Lakers hot jump shooting. Even though he was incredibly efficient on offense, he did have a few travels, which resulted in Lakers points. About halfway through the final quarter, Morant injured his hand on a drive to a basket, causing him to miss the rest of the contest. While he was quite productive during his time out there, his significance to the team and his forced absence in the waning moments requires an incomplete grade.    

Jaren Jackson: B+

Jackson’s play resembled the aggressive offensive approach he was taking at the end of the regular season, leading all scorers with 31 points on 21 shots. Throughout the contest, he was frequently matched up with both Lakers stars on defense and offense, winning and losing battles against them. Playing disciplined, he only had 3 fouls in the contest, permitting him to play heavy minutes. When Ja Morant went to the locker room with a hand injury, Trip put the responsibility on himself to take over. He scored a quick five points to truncate the Laker lead to two, however, it was not enough. 

Desmond Bane: C+

Finishing with 6 assists, Bane took what the defense was giving him when it came to his playmaking. With so much attention on Morant, Desmond Bane took initiative to run the offense for many possessions, playing in the pick and roll and penetrating and kicking. Bane got especially hot in the third quarter, scoring 8 consecutive points, including an impressive fadeaway three. Bane picked up his fourth foul with more than a third left in the contest, but when he later re-entered, his crafty layup over LeBron James helped keep the Forum rocking during a big run that contributed to Memphis regaining the lead. As the contest went deep into the fourth, his efficiency decayed, taking sloppy shots and losing his touch, which was a significant reason why the Lakers were able to win comfortably. 

Overall: C-

With the crowd into it from the start and the heightened expectations because of continued success, the Grizzlies came out energized, matching the Lakers intensity and energy throughout the first three quarters. When Los Angeles went on runs, the Grizzlies would respond, when they hit jumpers, Memphis would match. While losing Morant down the stretch severely wounded the team’s chances of closing out Game One, they lacked the mental fortitude to combat the extenuating circumstances, allowing the Lakers to end the game on a 15-0 run. The Grizzlies also allowed Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura to have tremendous outings, combining for 52 points on only 27 shots, and got out-rebounded 55-40. Whether Morant is in the lineup or not, in order for the Grizzlies to even the series up, they will need to make sure to prevent players other than Anthony Davis or LeBron James from making major contributions, as well as clean up the glass at a better rate.