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The Lakers take a 2-1 lead against the Grizzlies in the series
The Los Angeles Lakers recorded a 111-101 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies in an NBA Western Conference round one Game 3 Playoff fixture in the early hours of Sunday, April 23, 2023.
The Lakers fresh off the play-in tournament took Game 1 while the Grizzlies tied the series in Game 2.
Playing in front of their home crowd the Lakers started out hot as they put up 35 points in the first quarter to take a 26-point lead.
The Grizzlies got into rhythm in the second quarter as they put up 28 points reducing the deficit to 16 points at the halftime break.
The Grizzlies continued to push hard but the Lakers answered with buckets extending their lead to 20 at the end of the third quarter.
The Grizzlies were able to cut the lead in the fourth quarter but the Lakers held on for a 10-point blowout victory.
Ja Morant explodes against the Lakers
Morant scored 45 points in his first game back after missing one due to an injured right hand, including 22 straight points in the incredible fourth quarter as Memphis tried to come back from an early deficit.
Morant also had nine rebounds and 13 assists, but the second-seeded Grizzlies were unable to make a complete comeback.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis come up big for the Lakers
The Lakers duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James put up monster performances respectively against the Grizzlies.
James recorded 25 points, nine rebounds, one steal, five assists, and one block in 36 minutes of action.
Davis chipped in with 31 points, three blocks, two assists, 17 rebounds and two steals in 39 minutes of action.
Brooks was ejected for hitting LeBron James
After guarding LeBron James close to midcourt when the Memphis agitator punched him in the groin, Brooks was dismissed 17 seconds into the second half.
After a quick video review, officials dismissed Brooks as the NBA's all-time leading scorer rolled around on the court in agony.
The result means that the Lakers take a 2-1 lead in the series ahead of Game 4 scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
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