On Sunday night, in the opening game of their Western Conference series, Los Angeles defeated Memphis 128-112. Rui Hachimura had his best playoff scoring performance, with 29 points, 21 of which were scored in the second half. LeBron James also contributed with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
In the closing minutes, Austin Reaves contributed nine consecutive points to help the Lakers secure the win, finishing with a total of 23 points. Anthony Davis had a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell, who only scored two points in the Lakers’ play-in win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, ended up with 19 points.
Jaren Jackson Jr. was the top scorer for Memphis with 31 points, followed by Desmond Bane with 22 points. Ja Morant had 18 points before leaving the game in the fourth quarter due to a right hand injury.
By defeating the No. 2 seed Grizzlies, who had the best home record in the NBA at 35-6, the seventh-seeded Los Angeles team took home-court advantage.
CLIPPERS 115, SUNS 110
PHOENIX (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 38 points, including a pair of late 3-pointers, and Los Angeles beat Phoenix in their West series opener.
The Clippers maintained their lead with the help of Eric Gordon’s 19 points, including a critical late 3-pointer. Despite struggling with his shooting, Russell Westbrook managed to score a pair of free throws with 17.7 seconds left, giving the Clippers a three-point lead. He then blocked Devin Booker’s layup attempt and swatted the ball off Booker, securing possession for the Clippers with just 10.1 seconds remaining.
Kevin Durant scored 27 points for the Suns, who suffered their first loss with him on the team. The Suns acquired the two-time NBA Finals MVP from Brooklyn in February, but injuries limited him to just eight games, all of which the Suns won. Devin Booker also contributed 26 points for Phoenix, who will aim to avoid falling into a 2-0 deficit when they play at home on Tuesday.