The Los Angeles Lakers tore the Memphis Grizzlies to pieces this Friday (125-85), qualified for the West semifinals (4-2) and, after a start to the season that pointed to a resounding failure, are now a reborn and fiercely competitive team that he has earned the right to dream in the playoffs.
Hardly anyone in Los Angeles imagined that LeBron James' Lakers, who started the year with a ridiculous 2-10, would be alive at the end of April, with the wind in their favor and waiting for a rival in the Western semifinals, which will come out of the series between the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors (3-3).
For their part, with everything against them and in a duel with no margin for error, the Sacramento Kings achieved a huge victory on Friday against the Golden State Warriors (99-118) to force a seventh and final game that will be played on Sunday at Sacramento (3-3 in the series). Despite losing the court factor on Wednesday, these young and surprising Kings jumped into this sixth game in San Francisco without complexes and defeated the defending NBA champions with admirable solvency, who will have to win again at home to avoid being eliminated in the first round of the West.
The very meritorious resurrection of these Lakers was given thanks to several ingredients. Thus, the departure of the controversial Russell Westbrook, the signings of key pieces (D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt...) and the step forward of Austin Reaves were essential to provide support for a LeBron and an Anthony Davis for finally recovered from their physical problems.
With an 18-8 since the closing of the transfer market and "play-in" through, the Lakers (seventh in the West) were played in the first round by Ja Morant's Grizzlies (seconds). But those in purple and gold silenced the brashness, rage and youth of Memphis throughout the series and especially this Friday with a magical night in which they were a steamroller from beginning to end. D'Angelo Russell (31 points on an overwhelming 12 of 17 shooting and 5 and 9 on 3-pointers), Davis (16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks) and LeBron (22 points on 9 of 13 shooting) led this Friday to some Lakers who were already winning 36 points in the third quarter.
The locals dazzled with 53.8% shooting and their impressive defense broke the visiting offense (30.2%).
Almost no one was saved in these disappointing and overmatched Grizzlies: Morant crashed with 10 points (3 of 16 shooting), Desmond Bane only had 15 points (5 of 16), Jaren Jackson Jr. stayed at 14 (3 of 12) and the controversial Dillon Brooks only contributed 10 (4 of 11). The Spanish Santi Aldama was one of the few worthy of Memphis and finished as the top scorer of his team with 16 points and 5 rebounds.
In San Francisco, Malik Monk, with 28 points and 6 rebounds coming off the bench, and De'Aaron Fox, with 26 points and 11 assists despite still playing with a broken finger, commanded the triumph of some Kings in which Domantas Sabonis He had many problems with fouls and ended up sent off (7 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes).
Stephen Curry (29 points) and Klay Thompson (22 points) were left very alone in some Warriors who only made 10 of 32 in triples and had a poor performance from their squires (Jordan Poole finished with 7 points and a terrible 2 of 11 in shots).
Steve Kerr's men only have to resort to the epic on Sunday, when they will play the pass to the semifinals of the West in a game for life or death in Sacramento.
