The Los Angeles Lakers were unable to close out the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 5, getting blown out on the road instead.
It was a struggle for the Lakers for most of the evening as they couldn’t keep up with a jacked-up Grizzlies team, but they’ll get another chance to close out the series when they head back home to Los Angeles for Game 6. Despite the loss, players like Austin Reaves remain confident and are ready to respond on Friday.
Should the Lakers lose Game 6, they’ll be forced to go back to the FedEx Forum for a Game 7. D’Angelo Russell kept it simple when asked about his mentality for Game 6 and lack of desire to go back to Memphis, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Hell no. Just protect home, simple as that. I think whatever you gotta do to prepare yourself individually physically and mentally. We got a few days off to prepare for that one, to give it all we got. Get it done. I think that should be the motive, that should be the energy, that should be where our minds are. Just get it done.”
After stealing a game on the road, L.A. set themselves up to take the series at home. But despite that, Russell admitted there’s pressure to get the job done even though he still believes the Lakers are in the better position:
“It’s all pressure. Obviously, you don’t wanna lose, you don’t wanna leave like that. Obviously, they want to come back here and give themselves a chance. It’s pressure everywhere. But to be in a position to control our own narrative and go back home is something we’d rather be.”
Having to win a Game 7 on the road is perhaps the most difficult thing to do in the NBA and it should be a situation the purple and gold try to avoid at all costs. So far, they’ve managed to defend their home court but Game 6 will be a different beast because Memphis is fighting for their postsesaon lives.
There isn’t a lot of time to recuperate and recalibrate, so L.A. needs to use its downtime wisely to prepare for their hardest game of the year to date.
Anthony Davis believes LeBron James will be fine after Game 5
Anthony Davis had a monster Game 5, but the same couldn’t be said for LeBron James, who looked tired after the overtime win in Game 4. However, Davis is confident James will be just fine after his disappointing performance be ready to go.
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