Lakers hoping to bounce back, finish off Grizzlies in Game 6

After failing to take advantage of the opportunity to close out the Grizzlies on the road, the Lakers are hoping to bounce back and finish off Memphis back in Los Angeles, where they are 2-0 so far in the playoffs. 

This game provides an opportunity for the whole team to bounce back on all levels.

For many Laker fans, including myself, this has to start with head coach Darvin Ham, who came under fire after taking Anthony Davis out late in the third quarter, which sparked a Memphis run that the Lakers were unable to come back from. 

Going forward, Ham stated that he was willing to extend minutes for her stars in order to avoid going back to Memphis for a Game 7, which Anthony Davis reiterated by saying, “42, 45, 48 … whatever it is, I’ll be ready.”

Anthony Davis said he’ll play whatever minutes are needed for the Lakers to win Game 6: “42, 45, 48 … whatever it is, I’ll be ready.”

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 27, 2023

According to Jovan Buha, Ham and his staff have spent the majority of their time since Game 5 tweaking their rotations in order to better maximize the bench minutes and minimize long runs by the opponent. 

Darvin Ham said that a big chunk of his coaching meeting today was focused on the team’s rotation and figuring out better ways to maximize the bench units.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 28, 2023

The other Laker that is hoping to bounce back is star LeBron James, who is coming off one of his worst playoff performances, putting up just 15 points and five turnovers while shooting just 1-9 from three.

LeBron didn’t mince words postgame, describing his performance as “sh**,” and vowing to play better in Game 6.

LeBron and the Lakers will come out determined to close out Game 6 in front of their home crowd. pic.twitter.com/JoX7AhTLOQ

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) April 27, 2023

The final thing the Lakers need to do is better contain the Grizzlies stars of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, who put up 31 and 33 points, respectively, in Game 5.

With a shorter rotation and locked-in mentality defensively, combined with the lift from the home crowd, the Lakers should be able to close out the Grizzlies Friday night and move on to the next round.