The Memphis Grizzlies (2-3) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (3-2) 116-99 on Wednesday at FedExForum to force Game 6 in their first-round playoff series.
Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 33 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Ja Morant followed with 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, marking the second time in franchise playoff history for two Grizzlies teammates to score 30 points in the same game. Jaren Jackson Jr. registered 18 points and 10 rebounds, tallying 14 points in the second half. All three players posted double-doubles.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 31 points and 19 rebounds in his fourth double-double of the series. Austin Reaves notched 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while LeBron James totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Grizzlies pulled ahead early behind a 15-4 run to close out the first quarter to take a 38-24 lead entering the second period. Despite a 13-5 run by Los Angeles in the second, Memphis maintained a 61-52 halftime lead.
Memphis scored 12 straight points to begin a 19-2 run to end the third quarter, leading 94-76. The Grizzlies extended their run to 26-2 to take a 101-76 advantage, its largest lead of the series, with 10:48 remaining in the game.
The Grizzlies held the Lakers to 39.1% shooting and outrebounded the Lakers 18-11 in the third quarter, including a 7-2 margin on the offensive glass.
Memphis remained undefeated in franchise history when playing Game 5 at home (5-0) and is 2-1 all-time when playing Game 6 on the road.
The Grizzlies will look to continue to stave off elimination in Game 6 at 9:30 p.m. CT on Friday, April 28, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Fans can tune in on Bally Sports Southeast or ESPN or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN.