LeBron James Finally Gets His Big Playoff Moment in Front of a Raucous Home Crowd

Los Angeles showed out as the Lakers became the sixth No. 7 seed to topple a No. 2 team in the playoffs.

LOS ANGELES – As Anthony Davis finished his victory lap, from the postgame ESPN interview to the locker room, with a private moment with Lakers exec Rob Pelinka in between, an unmistakable chant loud enough for nearby reporters to hear emerged from a roomful of players waiting to greet him.

Whoop that trick. Whoop that trick. Whoop that trick.

The Lakers' borrowing of the phrase—made famous by Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow and adopted by the Grizzlies to celebrate wins—was cutting. But earned. Friday’s 125-85 series clincher wasn’t a win. It was a shellacking. L.A. led by 11 points after the first quarter. They led by 17 at the half. By the third quarter, the lead was 36 and Kenneth Lofton Jr., Ziaire Williams and the rest of Memphis’s reserves were tightening their shoelaces. The Lakers shot 53.8% in this one. The Grizzlies shot 30.2%.

“They did a lot of great things,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “Offensively and defensively.”

It began with LeBron James. James looked tired in a 5-17 performance in Game 5. His legs looked heavy. His shots were short. “I’ll be better in Game 6,” James vowed. He was. James scored 22 points. He handed out six assists. He was an efficient 9-13 from the floor and a team-high plus-32. Lakers coach Darvin Ham arrived at the arena at 3:10 pm. James was already there. “You could just tell right away,” said Ham. Late in the second quarter, James collected a pass on the run, beat two Grizzlies defenders and finished with a reverse dunk.

“It’s unreal, man,” said Ham. “Kobe [Bryant] was nothing short of amazing. Giannis [Antetokounmpo] … I’ve been around some elite, top-five in the NBA talent. LeBron, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

After playing 37 minutes in Game 5, James looked fresh. The Lakers plane landed from Memphis well after 1 a.m. on Thursday. James went home … and slept. With no practice on Thursday, James slept some more. “I felt excellent this morning,” James said. At the morning film session, James was locked in. “You could tell there was a sense of urgency,” said Austin Reaves. In the third quarter, with the Lakers up 30, Reaves missed a defensive rotation. “First thing I see,” Reaves said, “is [LeBron] staring at me.”

“For him to sustain that, all these years, that’s what they should teach,” Ham said. “They talk about how he approaches the game, playing the game the right way, on both sides of the ball, never cheating the game. In that never cheating the game section they need to talk about more for these young kids, young athletes in general, how he takes care of his body. Everything is regimented, his routine is on point. Not just during the season but year-round. That’s the only way he’s able to do what he has been doing.”

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It wasn’t just James. There was Davis with 16 points. He pulled down 14 rebounds. He swatted five shots. Memphis shot 32% … in the paint. Jaren Jackson Jr. was 3-12. Xavier Tillman was 1-4. Before the game, Ham identified transition defense as a point of emphasis. The Lakers held Memphis to 14 fast break points. Desmond Bane torched the Lakers for 69 points in Games 4 and 5. In Game 6, L.A. limited him to ten.

“When we get them in the halfcourt it’s usually tough for them to score,” said Davis. “We just want to be solid on both ends of the floor. That starts with me dominating the [defensive] side of the ball with my energy and effort and a presence at the rim making it tough for them to score.”

There’s more. D’Angelo Russell was brilliant. With Kyrie Irving sitting courtside, Russell scored 31 points. Reaves handed out eight assists. Dennis Schroder dished five. The Lakers scored 52 points in the paint and outrebounded Memphis 52-45.

In his first postseason series as a head coach, Ham was terrific. Ham has dealt with a lot this season. He inherited a dysfunctional team. He needed to connect with Russell Westbrook and then find a role for him. When the Lakers shook up the roster before the trade deadline, Ham had to integrate new pieces on the fly. L.A. had the second-best defensive rating after the trade deadline, per NBA.com. They entered the playoffs winners of nine of 11. On Friday, Ham shortened his rotation. He blitzed Bane more. He pushed Morant more to his right hand. He had the right game plan. And the Lakers executed it.

In beating Memphis, the Lakers became the sixth No. 7 seed to topple a No. 2—and just the second in the best-of-seven era. In the locker room, when the celebration ended, James spoke. Good win, James said. But the job isn’t finished. Los Angeles will play the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Warriors and Kings, and James reminded his teammates they needed to be ready.

“As hard as this series was,” James said. “It gets even harder when you move a level up.”

Indeed. For one night, though, the Lakers, Los Angeles, could celebrate. Crypto.com Arena was rowdy on Friday. “I’ve never heard ‘Let’s Go Lakers’ so loud,” Ham said. Jack Nicholson sat courtside. Larry David, too. This series has been James’s first playoffs in front of a full house. L.A. won its title in the bubble in 2020. In ’21, COVID-19 restrictions forced limited attendance. On Friday, James said one of the reasons he signed with the Lakers was to “change the narrative” around the franchise.

“This franchise is known for winning championships,” said James.

The Lakers are now one step closer to another.