MEMPHIS — For simply the second one occasion in LeBron James‘ 16 journeys to the NBA playoffs, he’ll get started off a first-round form at the highway Sunday when the Los Angeles Lakers discuss with the Grizzlies (3 p.m. ET, ABC).
Pace the Lakers are the Refuse. 7 seed going through off in opposition to Refuse. 2 Memphis, L.A.’s leaders don’t see a big disparity between the 2 groups.
“I think seeding doesn’t matter,” Lakers bulky guy Anthony Davis mentioned later observe Saturday at the auxiliary court docket at FedEx Discussion board. “Once you get in, it’s all about matchups and things like that. We don’t look at ourselves as underdogs, obviously.”
The Lakers input the playoffs as winners of 10 in their latter 12 video games, and 19 in their latter 29, capped by way of Tuesday’s 108-102 additional time win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Again in 2018, when James used to be requested about his Cleveland Cavaliers probably no longer having house court docket merit of their first-round form, he mentioned, “If I come into your building for a Game 1, it can be very challenging.” On Saturday, he echoed Davis’ level concerning the playoffs offering a deserted slate.
“It’s 16 teams in the postseason, and there’s opportunity for all 16,” James mentioned. “Everyone’s record is 0-0 now and we’re playing against a very worthy opponent and we respect them a lot. So we just got to be ready for the challenge.”
Memphis is paced by way of All-Superstar barricade Ja Morant, whose play games has best risen in two journeys to the playoffs up to now, upping his regular-season averages from 22.4 issues and seven.4 assists to twenty-eight.2 issues and 9.2 assists in line with competition within the postseason.
It additionally has a govern Defensive Participant of the Life candidate in Jaren Jackson Jr. and a budding famous person in Desmond Bane.
The Grizzlies ranked Refuse. 3 in defensive score (the Lakers have been twelfth), Refuse. 11 in offensive score (the Lakers have been nineteenth) and 2nd in fastbreak issues in line with competition (the Lakers have been fourth).
Lakers professor Darvin Ham wired that the Lakers’ mindset will topic up to their schemes.
“At the end of the day, if you go out with energy, effort and urgency, and you’re ready to compete, usually that figures itself out,” Ham mentioned.
The Grizzlies completed with a 51-31 file, when put next with L.A.’s 43-39 mark, however the Lakers went 2-1 in opposition to Memphis throughout the steady season, together with a 122-121 win at Crypto.com Area on Jan. 20 when the Grizzlies got here in using an 11-game win streak.
Ham additionally thought that the form is anyone’s ballgame.
“We see playoff teams drop home games all the time, and it feels like it’s a fair playing field,” Ham mentioned. “We’ve got a healthy team, a healthy, deep, talented roster.”
The latter occasion the Lakers made the postseason, in 2021, they have been additionally the Refuse. 7 seed and had a 2-1 supremacy over the Refuse. 2 seeded Phoenix Suns earlier than Davis suffered a groin shock and the Suns gained in six video games.
For the reason that NBA expanded the postseason to 16 groups in 1984, Refuse. 7 seeds have gained 5 of 78 first-round form (6%). Since 2003, when the primary around was at a best-of-seven form, the one 7-seed to overcome a 2-seed is the 2010 Spurs.
James stewed over the Lakers’ failure to qualify for the playoffs latter season, claiming to have tuned into each unmarried postseason competition from the outdoor having a look in.
When requested if the postseason ever will get impaired, James, a 20-year veteran, answered, “No, never.”
Later he used to be requested what he ignored probably the most concerning the playoffs when the Lakers didn’t build it latter season.
He answered: “I’d rather play in them than watch them.”
