Lakers give the Grizzlies a preview of what’s to come
Last night was the Lakers’ first appearance back on the court since their worst debacle of the year in Chicago on Thursday. Los Angeles (45-29) made their way to Memphis (44-30) in hopes of getting back on track.
This matchup, based on standings, looked to be a battle of two titans; however, both teams entered the game on quite a skid. Over the course of the last five games, surprisingly, both teams have lost four. It’s not something that you would expect from two teams that were tied for the 4-seed entering the game.
Memphis in disarRay
Last night’s game was the first for Memphis following some rather strange news yesterday. It was announced that the Grizzlies would be parting ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins.
Jenkins had coached the team for six seasons, and with initial reports not declaring malfeasance, the move makes you scratch your head.
The Memphis Grizzlies have parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 28, 2025
The Grizzlies debuted their new interim head coach, Tuomas Iasalo. His mentality is based on speed and pace, and in this game, they were successful in spurts. No coach’s dream first game, however, is having to gameplan for LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves.
The Lakers Big-3
Austin Reaves revealed that yesterday morning, the Lakers coaching staff met with him, LeBron, and Luka in an attempt to return them all to the same page. Whatever was said in that meeting certainly worked. The trio came out in this one and put on a collective masterclass.
THE LAKERS BIG 3 DROPPED 85 POINTS TONIGHT 😮💨🔥 https://t.co/zKTgFuN76d pic.twitter.com/2IwAc4UExP
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 30, 2025
There is so much to dissect. LeBron’s willingness to attack the painted area and set the tone aggression-wise while he knows his jumper is still coming back was impressive.
You can look at what Austin is able to do as a third option, which is comparable to none. Or you can look at the fact that Luka is continually amazing, surpassing 20+ points for the 16th game.
This trio will cause unlimited problems for playoff opponents, and the coach who has to gameplan for them will have many sleepless nights. Funny enough, after last night, that will more than likely be our new friend, Tuomas Iisalo.
Playoff Implications
The playoffs are quickly approaching, and with only eight games left, seeding is becoming critical. Last night’s win helped substantially in securing home-court advantage, at least through the first round.
It was important for Western Conference matchup standings, tiebreakers, and possibly LeBron-era history. At no point in the LeBron-Laker era have they entered the playoffs with a home-court advantage.
The one year they would have accomplished the feat was 2020, when the team was restricted to the bubble in Orlando.
If even for one round, the team will be fighting hard over these last eight games for that sizeable advantage.
