The Lakers made a statement. Justin Ford/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said post-game that Morant is “in some pain” but that the X-rays came back negative, with the 23-year-old to be evaluated over the next two days.
Morant was already dealing with an injury to the hand before the latest incident on Monday.
Austin Reaves was the hero in his playoff debut, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Reaves had 23 points all up to go with three rebounds and four assists while Rui Hachimura also stepped up with 29 points, shooting 11 for 14 from the field and five 3-pointers.
D’Angelo Russell, meanwhile, shook off a shaky shooting start to finish the game with 19 points while superstar duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 43 points.
It is the kind of high-level production the Lakers have been after from their supporting cast, easing the pressure on James who was instead also able to make an impact on the defensive end.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way for the Grizzlies with 31 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal while Morant had 22 points, five rebounds and six assists before his injury.
The Lakers made a fast start, jumping out to a 32-27 lead after the opening quarter off the back of a physical showing from Davis (eight points, five rebounds, three blocks).
That kind of production from the 30-year-old was particularly important as James and Russell struggled to get their shot going in the opening period.
James had an early defensive rebound and steal to set the tone for the Lakers but missed his opening three shots of the game and ended the quarter 1-for-4 from the field.
Russell, meanwhile, was just 1-for-5 as the Lakers shot at just 43.3 per cent from the field. So how exactly did they still find themselves up after the first quarter?
Well, Davis’ work on the offensive glass had a lot to do with it but so did a lack of turnovers, with the more experienced Lakers playing smart basketball and not giving the ball up once in the period.
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The Grizzlies, on the other hand, coughed it up four times and could’ve been staring at an even bigger deficit after the first quarter, having fallen behind 30-20 with two on the clock.
But seven points in the space of 50 seconds saw the Grizzlies draw within three points, settling for a 32-27 buffer in the end.
Things started to head downhill for the Lakers in the second quarter though, with the turnovers quickly piling up before Davis came from the floor with a potential shoulder injury.
Davis left for the locker room after colliding with Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., appearing to say, “I can’t feel my arm”, as he exited the game.
It was shaping as a costly blow for the Lakers, who were relying on a healthy Davis to help ease the offensive load on James and the 30-year-old was doing just that early on Monday.
Fortunately for the Lakers Davis was able to return but not before Memphis stormed home in the second quarter to take a 65-59 lead into halftime.
Anthony Davis injured during the first half. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images Jackson Jr. was a big reason for that, racking up two defensive rebounds, one ferocious block and seven points in the final two minutes alone.
Morant then put an exclamation period on the quarter for Memphis as the 23-year-old nailed a floater.
Jackson Jr. had 19 points, five rebounds and two blocks by halftime, seemingly leaving the Lakers in big trouble if Davis could not get back on the court.
Fortunately for the Lakers, Davis was able to return with sources describing it as a “nerve stinger” to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Davis immediately made his presence felt too with a pair of defensive rebounds to go with a bucket and an assist while Russell starting to find his shooting rhythm as the Lakers drew closer to the lead.
The Grizzlies needed someone to step up and Desmond Bane did just that, scoring eight points in the space of 40 seconds as Memphis pushed its lead back out to 75-68.
A few crucial Rui Hachimura 3-pointers down the stretch though saw the Lakers close in once more and eventually regain the lead, up 96-90 at the end of the third.
The game was well and truly in the balance deep in the final quarter until a brutal injury blow as Morant appeared to suffer a hand injury with just over five minutes left on the clock.
Jackson Jr. did his best to keep the Grizzlies afloat, scoring eight points in the space of two minutes but it was all futile in the end as Hachimura, Davis and Reaves stepped up late to close out the win for the Lakers.
With it, the Lakers now hold a 1-0 lead but will remain in Memphis for Game 2 on Thursday as an injury cloud hangs over Morant.
