Report Card: Grizzlies leapfrog Lakers in Game 5 to keep playoff dreams alive

Do or die. Now or never. These phrases loomed large over the Memphis Grizzlies franchise as they welcomed the Los Angeles Lakers to Fedex Forum Wednesday Night for Game 5 with their season on the line looking down a 3-1 hole.

The Grizzlies started out with intense effort that mirrored the desperation of their situation. They were clearly moving quickly on both ends of the floor and looked to build up an early lead. Despite the Lakers finding success offensively, the Grizzlies caught fire to end the first quarter, closing things with a 10-0 run to lead by 14 after one, 38-24.

In the second quarter, things got a little dicey as the Lakers started to show more fight and the Grizzlies’ offense came to a bit of a sputter to start things off. Luckily, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane continued to get themselves going after big first quarters and would finish with 21 and 18, respectively at halftime. Nonetheless, the Grizzlies were outscored by the Lakers 23-28 in the second quarter as their lead was cut to just nine, 61-52.

The Lakers came out swinging to start the third quarter; they got off to an 8-0 run right out of the gate to cut the Memphis lead to just one. Some nervous jitters probably made their way through the Grindhouse, but the Grizzlies rapidly roared back with big baskets from Morant and Bane as well as triples from Jaren Jackson Jr and Santi Aldama. They went off on a 19-2 run midway through and scored on their last eight possessions of the third to open up an 18-point lead at the end, 94-76.

It was a bit of a nerve-racking fourth, as the Grizzlies went cold after holding a 19-point lead with 7:06 to go. The Lakers went on a 10-0 run and the Grizzlies failed to find the bottom of the net for five minutes as the Memphis lead was cut to just twelve with about 3 minutes left. Fortunately, the Grizzlies made winning plays in the clutch and would put the Lakers away to force a Game 6, 116-99.

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combined for 64 points and each scored over 30 points to become the second pair of Memphis Grizzlies teammates to score 30 or more points in a playoff game in franchise history.

Big night, so let’s jump right in with the grades

Ja Morant – A (31 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 13-26 FG, 2-5 3PT, +19)

Unless you couldn’t tell after his 45-point performance in Game 3, Playoff Ja moves differently. Morant knew the stakes were at their highest tonight and did not disappoint. He commenced the game clearly in attack mode, constantly pushing the pace to get down the floor and find his sweet spots in the paint. He had eight by about the midway point of the first quarter and then quieted down a bit the rest of the period, but he then had a monster second quarter as he scored 10 points. He mixed up his scoring bag a little bit as he hit a seldom-used floater, found his three-point shot, and completed a breathtaking alley-oop over LeBron James. 

He also came alive in the third quarter as he put up 11 points shooing over 56% from the field. The only reason why I can’t give the “A+” to Ja is because of a rather silent fourth – he only scored two points off free throws and missed both of his field goal attempts. Nonetheless, the superstar point guard bounced back in style after a rough Game 4. Morant looked probably the most comfortable he’s looked this entire playoffs given his hand injury. He did not have any issues maintaining his dribble in tight spaces and made intelligent plays and reads all over the floor. He also only turned the ball over twice, which was the lowest amount of turnovers he has recorded ever since returning from injury. Call 12, and he will answer. Let’s hope he answers again in Game 6.

Desmond Bane – A+ (33 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 12-21 FG, 4-9 3PT, +18)

Perhaps “Call 22” needs to be just as much of a battle cry as Call 12, because Desmond Bane put up an offensive clinic that the Grizzlies do not win this game without. He was unstoppable from all three levels in the first quarter, especially in the midrange area. He went a perfect 2-2 from three and 5-6 from the field after the first period of play to give him a team-high 14 points. He only hit two shots in each of the second and third quarters but then went 75% from the field in the fourth as a catalyst in helping Memphis put the game away. Bane looked the most relaxed he’s been both finding and making his shots, continued to find success driving to the basket, and was a pivotal secondary playmaker that hit his teammates for open looks – his five assists were second-highest on the team.

Desmond Bane HAS put up back-to-back scoring nights of 30+ points, becoming the third Memphis Grizzly to ever do so. It’s comforting that Desmond Bane looks to have regained his shot from beyond that had left him hanging most of this series (finished 44% on 9 tries). It is a pivotal aspect of how the Grizzlies space out their offense and opens up lanes downhill. If Bane puts up a similar performance in Game 6 and maintains his accuracy from deep, this thing is most definitely heading back to Memphis for a final game.

Jaren Jackson – B (18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 stocks, 5-11 FG, 2-5 3PT, +1)

It’s a really good thing basketball is a game of two halves because Jaren Jackson Jr would most definitely have received a failing grade had his performance only been evaluated for the first half alone. He started out flat-out abysmally. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was not aggressively looking to score and appeared extremely jaded all-around after battling with Anthony Davis on multiple possessions. He had multiple defensive lapses and only had 4 points at halftime that came solely from free throw attempts. However, he bounced back in the second half and was actively engaged on both ends of the floor, so much so that I have to call him the “Player of the Second Half” – Jackson put up a team-high 14 points in the final half of play with makes from the three-point line (50% on 4 attempts) along with 5 rebounds and two blocks. His shift in energy and intensity assisted the Grizzlies in staying the course when the game looked rather bleak at times.

Given his poor start, Jackson’s growth over the course of this key playoff game was extremely impressive. It speaks to a poise and maturity in his game and overall demeanor that has risen exponentially over the course of this season. Case in point, he found himself in foul trouble in the second half yet played through it and continued to dominate. That’s the sign of a player who’s ready to be an anchor for this comeback attempt. 

Overall Grade – B+

The Memphis Grizzlies needed to play like their lives depended on it (Because that was the reality), and they did not fail to rise to the occasion. They played with incredible hustle right from tip-off and found renewed success on the offensive end, especially with their bread and butter style of forcing turnovers and turning offense into defense. But, I can’t give this win a A grade because the Grizzlies seemed to fall apart a bit defensively in the second half; they allowed the Lakers’ backourt to penetrate the paint far too often and gave the Lakers open looks in the third and fourth quarters that allowed them to claw back into the game when it could have been wrapped up much earlier. Despite this, the Grizzlies came out on top in a well-earned victory that keeps their playoff dreams alive. One game at a time. The Grizzlies will meet the Lakers in LA Friday night to force a Game 7 back in Memphis.