Lakers close out Grizzlies in dominant fashion to advance to second round of NBA Playoffs

The Lakers will face either the Kings or Warriors in round two

The Memphis Grizzlies talked a big game before Game 6. Desmond Bane even guaranteed that this series would return to Memphis for Game 7. But Bane and the Grizzlies were proven emphatically wrong on Friday. Less than two weeks after Dillon Brooks said he didn't respect anyone until they dropped 40 points on him, the Lakers blew the Grizzlies out by 40 to clinch the series, 125-85. They will face the winner of Sunday's Game 7 between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors in the second round.

D'Angelo Russell led the way with 31 points, but LeBron James wasn't far off with 22. The story of the game was Anthony Davis, though, as he has played one of the best defensive games you'll ever see. His five blocks don't do justice to his dominance. The Grizzlies averaged 58.4 points in the paint per game this season, but were held to just 32 on Friday. It has been a remarkable all-around performance from the Lakers, and now the Grizzlies will have to go back to the drawing board as they plan for next season. Here are the biggest takeaways from Game 6:

Russell figuring it out

D'Angelo Russell's underwhelming playoff history is no secret. He shot below 35% from the floor in the playoffs as a member of the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves, and aside from a game-saving stretch in Game 4, he largely wasn't better in this series. In the first five games, he averaged just 13.8 points per game on 36.8% shooting. The Lakers badly need him to be a secondary scorer. James, 38 and dealing with a foot injury, can't do it all anymore, and the stakes are even higher for Russell. He is a free agent this offseason, and his possible replacement, Kyrie Irving, was watching the game courtside.

In what was likely the most pressure-packed game of his career, Russell delivered. He opened the game with 10 first-quarter points to set the tone for the Lakers and wound up leading the team with 31 when the final buzzer sounded. It was exactly the kind of game the Lakers needed out of Russell. He destroyed the small Memphis guards in pick-and-roll while hitting five of the nine 3-pointers he took, many of which were catch-and-shoot looks that other Lakers set up for him.

This is what the Lakers need out of their point guard. The ideal version of Russell is a player who can carry the offense for stretches and make the most of the opportunities players like James, Davis and Austin Reaves can create as well. The Lakers got that version of Russell on Friday, and the result was their biggest win of the season.

Don't poke bears, Dillon

You'd think Dillon Brooks would have learned from his encounters with Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors not to motivate NBA legends. Alas, Brooks did not. He spent the entire series antagonizing James only to be knocked out in the most humiliating fashion possible. In fact, his performance was a big reason why the Grizzlies lost.

In six games, Brooks shot 24-of-77 from the floor and 10-of-42 from 3-point range. The Lakers barely guarded him, and that allowed them to strangle Memphis in the paint. Their fearsome interior offense scored just 20 points in the first three quarters on Friday largely because of the extra help the Lakers could throw inside with Brooks in the game and the injured Luke Kennard out of it.

Brooks will be a free agent this offseason. The Grizzlies can re-sign him, but with a number of other expenses looming in their future, it's no guarantee. He defended James well, but at what cost? How will he explain his offense and his failed trash-talk to possible suitors? For his sake, hopefully he's done poking bears.

The Lakers may have won two games on Friday

Obviously, the focus for the Lakers on Friday was clinching their own series. However, there was another very important game taking place across the state right before the Lakers and Grizzlies tipped off. The Golden State Warriors had a chance to close out the Sacramento Kings on their home floor. If they'd done so, the Lakers and Warriors would have tipped off their second-round series on Sunday.

Instead, the Kings won. This did two important things for the Lakers. First of all, it gave them the chance to avoid Stephen Curry in the second round. As impressive as the Kings have been, the Lakers would surely prefer to play a team in its first playoff run in 17 years than a four-time champion. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it bought the Lakers a few days of rest. Now, their second-round series won't begin until Tuesday.

Two extra days off might not sound important, but they are critical. The NBA has already announced the schedule for that series. The Lakers and their second-round opponent will play every other day for two weeks straight. The Lakers have already played three straight games on that schedule, and they've flown to Memphis and back in that time. Asking a 38-year-old James to immediately hop on a plane to San Francisco for Game 1 would've been tough. Now he can relax at home and watch the Warriors and Kings beat each other up for 48 more minutes on Sunday knowing that he and his team will be rested when they face the victor on Tuesday.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 1:00 am ET · Sam Quinn]

A nice little audition

Lonnie Walker, Max Christie and Mo Bamba are all on the floor for the Lakers. None have been in the rotation in this series, but all three could have roles down the line. One of the benefits of this blow out is that the Lakers get to look at them up close in a game setting here.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:56 am ET · Sam Quinn]

Keeping the streak going

As mentioned on the broadcast, LeBron James has held 17 3-1 leads in the postseason. He won before Game 7 in the first 16, and he did so again tonight. Once LeBron can smell it, he's unbeatable.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:47 am ET · Sam Quinn]

How long does Memphis stick with the starters?

The Lakers have removed LeBron James and Anthony Davis from the game, but the Grizzlies, down 34, still have their best players in the game. At what point do they accept defeat? The last thing they need is to risk an injury in a season-ending loss.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:37 am ET · Sam Quinn]

How bad is this going to get?

The lead is up to 34 points. Can the Lakers get it to 40? 50? Do they want to? Memphis has talked plenty of trash in this series. Now the Lakers can make them eat their words.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:32 am ET · Sam Quinn]

At what point do the Lakers start thinking about rest?

This is a 30-point game. The Lakers have two injury-prone stars. Pretty soon, this game is going to be so far out of hand that the Lakers can get their guys some rest and start thinking about the second round.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:30 am ET · Sam Quinn]

The game of his life

D'Angelo Russell has 28 points and it's still only the third quarter. The core trio for the Grizzlies of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane has 27 in total. 

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:26 am ET · Sam Quinn]

Biggest lead of the series

The Lakers led Game 3 35-9 after one quarter... and that is no longer the biggest lead of the series. The Lakers are now up by 31 points at 83-52. Stick a fork in the Grizzlies. They are done.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:24 am ET · Sam Quinn]

The Vandolorian can't miss

The Lakers can't expect Jarred Vanderbilt to make his 3's every night, but he's got three of them so far. The Grizzlies are leaving him wide open and he's gotten hot tonight.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:22 am ET · Sam Quinn]

Running it up

The Lakers are up by 27. This thing is turning into a massacre. Dillon Brooks infamously after Game 2 that he wouldn't respect anyone until they scored 40 points on him. Well... there's a chance the Lakers win this game by 40 points.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:14 am ET · Sam Quinn]

The irony of this Russell explosion

Notably, Kyrie Irving is watching this game courtside. There have been rumors of Irving joining the Lakers as a free agent for the past year. For the Lakers to land him, they'd have to let Russell walk. But tonight, Russell is doing everything in his power to show the Lakers that he is their point guard of the future.

[Apr 29, 2023 at 12:12 am ET · Sam Quinn]

Russell raining from deep

The Lakers push their lead to 20 as D'Angelo Russell scores his 20th point of the game. He just made back-to-back 3's, and he's talking trash to Desmond Bane in the process. Jarred Vanderbilt sinks a 3 as well and the building erupts.