After the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 5 to the Memphis Grizzlies on April 26 at the FedEx Forum, LeBron James talked about Anthony Davis, who had a strong game.
“He’s just aggressive all 35 minutes that he played,” James said about Davis. “Looking for his shot. Rebounding at a high level and it’s great to see him be in rhythm.”
Davis had 31 points and 19 rebounds in Game 5 while shooting 14-of-23 from the field and 2-of-3 from the free-throw line in 35 minutes. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Davis’ robust night wasn’t enough to take down the Grizzlies, who won by a final score of 116-99. Los Angeles now leads the series 3-2.
Davis has been extremely up and down in this series. He had 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks in Game 1, 13 points and nine rebounds in Game 2, 31 points and 17 rebounds in Game 3 and 12 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4. The Lakers have to hope that Davis doesn’t have a poor Game 6 at home on April 28 at Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron James Was Awful in Game 5
James, 38, was awful in Game 5. The four-time MVP had 15 points and five turnovers while shooting just 5-of-17 from the floor and 1-of-9 from beyond the arc. James is shooting a woeful 6-of-36 from 3 in the Grizzlies series.
“Tonight, I was sh*t,” James said. “And I’ll be better in Game 6.”
After Game 5, James is now averaging 22.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the Grizzlies series. “The King” will have to figure out a way to hit some perimeter shots for the Lakers to win Game 6 at home and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.
For what it’s worth, Davis isn’t worried about James.
“He got the most points scored ever,” Davis said about James after the Lakers lost Game 5. “Greatest basketball player ever to touch the court. So I mean, it’s fine. He’ll be fine. He’ll adjust. He’ll get better. Our team will get better and we try to look at Friday (Game 6) as another opportunity to end the series.”
Desmond Bane: ‘We Are Going to Be Back for a Game 7 in Front of the Best Fans in the NBA’
Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, who went off for 33 points and 10 rebounds in Game 5, is guaranteeing that the Lakers will lose Game 6.
“I said it out there and I’ll say it again,” Bane said after Game 5. “We are going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA.”
The Lakers won Games 3 and 4 at home. However, the Grizzlies are the second seed in the West for a reason. With Bane, superstar point guard Ja Morant and Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the way, Memphis can beat anyone in any arena.
It’s worth mentioning that James, a four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP, has never blown a 3-1 series lead in the playoffs during his legendary NBA career. However, the only time he’s lost in the first round of the postseason came with the Lakers back in 2021 when the Phoenix Suns beat the LakeShow in six games.
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LeBron James Has Strong Words About Anthony Davis After Lakers Lose Game 5