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LeBron James looked like a man on a mission on Saturday night. He led the Los Angeles Lakers to a whirlwind start in the first quarter that saw them outscore the Memphis Grizzlies 35-9 in the opening frame. Ja Morant and the Grizzlies did all they can to try and mount a comeback, but in the end, their respectable attempt was to no avail. LA ended up securing a huge 111-101 victory in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in this NBA Playoffs opening-round series.
There was a lot of noise surrounding LeBron before this game tipped off, and it had a lot to do with Dillon Brooks issuing a disrespectful tirade against the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Brooks took his beef to the court by delivering a groin shot to LeBron in the opening moments of the third quarter. The Grizzlies stud got himself ejected from the game after being whistled for a Flagrant 2 on James.
For his part, however, LeBron is not letting all the distractions get inside his head. He's been through these types of situations so many times in the past, and at this point, it's just part of the deal for James. As a matter of fact, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had nothing but praise for how the four-time NBA champ reacts to these scenarios:
“He just goes out and speaks with his actions. Speaks with his play,” Ham said, via Lakers beat reporter Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints. “His leadership with the group has been — it's not like he's not saying nothing to you guys and then talking to us. He's just been focused throughout. And that's the way we need him to be. Again, it's not about a mano-a-mano matchup within a team sport. You gotta go out and make the right plays. Simple as that.”
It's never a good idea to poke the bear, though. Ham went on to issue a blatant warning to Dillon Brooks and the Grizzlies about all their trash-talking:
“I just think, just the doubt. Anyone trying to express any doubt toward him and the level at which he's playing at, the way we turned things around over the course of the season. That just puts fire under all of us, especially him,” Ham said. “He's just going about his business like he's always done. … All of that other stuff, those theatrics, that's for the fans. That's why they pay for their tickets. Come out, cheer, boo … that's all fan-based. It's great. It makes the game intriguing, suspenseful. But, for us, it's about going out, taking care of our business, and making sure we're doing a good job on our assignments.”
Ham on LeBron vs. Dillon Brooks: "Anyone trying to express any doubt towards him…that just puts fire under all of us, especially him."
"Theatrics, that's for the fans…It's great. It makes the game intriguing, suspenseful. But for us, it's about taking care of our business." pic.twitter.com/XoeKpTl1d0
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) April 23, 2023
LeBron James and the Lakers did just that on Saturday night. Not even Brooks' shot to the groin distracted LeBron from taking care of business in Game 3. The Grizzlies may have talked too much smack, and they now might not be able to back it all up.
