Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction: Memphis having a nightmare series

The NBA Playoffs have been too unpredictable and the fact that top seeds have been dusted off regularly sums it up. The Miami Heat is up three-one against the Milwaukee Bucks at the time of writing, and the Heat entered the first round as the eighth ranked squad compared to the first ranked team Bucks. The same goes for the second seeded Memphis Grizzlies which is down one-three against the Los Angeles Lakers. In this Game 5, the Memphis Grizzlies look to cut the deficit and save their season.

The Grizzlies put it all in Game 4 but still lost 111:117 against the battle-hardened Lakers. This was the second straight loss and put Memphis on the cusp of elimination. The Lakes took a six-point edge in the first quarter (29-23), then the Grizzlies cut to two points. The Grizzlies did a great job of taking a two-point lead at the end of the third quarter. These two teams were within the 1-2 points range of each other till the end. With the game tied with six seconds to go, Desmond Bane made a two-point shot but then LeBron James tied it as the shot clock expired.

In the Overtime, the Lakers limited the Grizzlies to just seven points and Anthony Davis and LeBron did a great job of closing it out. Desmond Bane led the way for Memphis, scrapping 36 points. Jaren Jackson had 14 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks but shot just 5/15. However, Ja Morant shot just 8/24 whereas Dillon Brooks continued to struggle, shooting just 4/11, 1/7 from three and Memphis shot just 9/42 from three-point line.

For the Lakers, sophomore wonder Austin Reaves led the way with 23 points but it was LeBron James who again stole the show, racking up 22 points, 20 rebounds(!), and seven assists to continue sizzle the basketball world. D’Angelo Russell looked in good touch before being fouled out, having scored 17 points. Anthony Davis shot just 4/13, but contributed 11 rebounds and his usual amazing defense.

• Lakers: PROBABLE: Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Dennis Schroeder;
• Grizzlies: OUT: Jake LaVaria, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke.

The Grizzlies have been bamboozling their fans with their under-par performances, clearly, a sign of fatigue, and also various on-court and off-court antics have impacted their Playoffs. The Lakers have been playing at a high rate, playing superb defense, and their turnaround since the midseason trade has translated into something special. I expect the Grizzlies to win here though, coming back at home. I predict a scoreline of 118:110 in favor of Memphis.