The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a tough loss in Game 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies, their largest margin of defeat in the 2023 NBA Playoffs so far. They lost 116-99, outpaced all game long by the Grizzlies, who were led by big performances from Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Morant had 31 points on 13/26 shooting from the field, including 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Meanwhile, Bane had 33 points on 12/21 shooting, as well as 10 rebounds himself to go along with 5 assists. The two got off to a hot start and the Grizzlies never looked back, cutting the Lakers lead to 3-2 as the series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 6. The Lakers will look for a much better performance across the board in order to close out the series.
Anthony Davis was the only Lakers player that really showed up in this one, a rarity for the 2023 NBA Playoffs so far for Los Angeles. Davis had 31 points on 14/23 shooting, finishing with a double-double as he had 19 rebounds. For the rest of the roster, it was a tough night all-around, as only three Lakers finished with a +/- above 0. Davis finished +6, a pretty solid number given the 17 point loss. The next two closest were Austin Reaves at +5 and Jarred Vanderbilt at +2, with the rest of the Los Angeles roster finishing at or below zero. In terms who played the worst, there are three players in particular that really struggled. Here are the three players that are most to blame for the Lakers Game 5 loss to the Grizzlies.
*Stats via ESPN
LeBron James
LeBron James had by far his worst game of the series, and one of the worst games of his NBA Playoffs career. He even said it himself, admitting that he needs to play a lot better in Game 6 if the Lakers want to avoid an elimination Game 7 and advance in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. James finished with 15 points on 5/17 shooting, and an abysmal 1/9 from the 3-point line. He had 10 rebounds and 5 assists, but an assist to turnover ratio of 1:1 thanks to 5 turnovers. He had a +/- of -1, simply not looking like the LeBron James he has been in the series up until Game 5.
James had an historic Game 4, posting the first ever 20-20 game of his career, and hitting clutch buckets in regulation and overtime to give the Lakers a 3-1 lead. The regression in Game 5 was tough to see for the Lakers faithful, as it would have been sweet to knock the Grizzlies out of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on their home court. James looks ahead to Game 6 with an opportunity to win the series on the Lakers home floor, as Crypto.com arena will certainly be rocking. James is going to have to play a lot better if the Lakers are to win the series and advance.
Dennis Schroder
Dennis Schroder basically got 19 minutes of cardio in Game 5. In his 19 minutes, Schroder had a +/- of -20, a staggering number despite attributing very little to the stat sheet. He finished with o points off the bench, missing both of his two shot attempts. Other than that, he had 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal; he really gave the Lakers nothing throughout all of Game 5. Schroder has produced key minutes off the bench this series, including some strong defense on Ja Morant. Morant had his way in this one, while Schroder had little impact on both ends of the floor.
Schroder has to be better in Game 6 if the Lakers want to close out the series. Such a small dent in the stat sheet while contributing a +/- of -20 shows that he was really a detriment while he was on the court, something the Lakers really can't afford. Schroder is the primary ball-handler in the second unit, and if he isn't at least putting up assists, the starters will have to pick up too much of the slack. Schroder's performance was a major reason for the Game 5 loss to the Grizzlies, and he will need to be better in Game 6.
Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves had been stellar throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs first round up until Game 5 against the Grizzlies. Although his performance wasn't terrible, it was not the Austin Reaves that helped the Lakers take a 3-1 lead. He had 17 points, but on 4/13 shooting, as well as having 4 turnovers to 6 assists. A 3:2 assist to turnover ratio isn't awful, but again, Reaves needs to be better if the Lakers want to win. In Game 6, Reaves will need to forget about his Game 5 performance and return to form.
Reaves exploded onto the 2023 NBA Playoffs scene in Game 1 of this series by having a huge 14 point fourth quarter on his way to 23 points. The Lakers took Game 1, and Reaves was the talk of NBA social media after the game. That was the opposite of the case in Game 5, and Reaves is certainly disappointed in his play. He will need a short memory and to move onto Game 6, as a pivotal opportunity for the Lakers to close out the series presents itself. Reaves was a major reason for the Game 5 loss, and hopes to be a major reason for a Lakers trip to the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs after Game 6.
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