lebron-getty-20.png
Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers ran away for a 16-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1, not because LeBron James or Anthony Davis went off, but because their role players stepped up. Rui Hachimura led all scorers with 29 points off the bench, while Austin Reaves added on 23 points. It was a case of everything going right for the Lakers on offense. We'll see if that success can be bottled throughout the rest of this series, which continues Wednesday night with Game 2.

On the other side of this matchup was a Grizzlies team that suffered a significant blow when franchise centerpiece Ja Morant left midway through the fourth quarter of the 128-112 loss with a hand injury. Morant's status for Game 2 is still unknown, and he's likely to be a game-time decision, however, the star guard told reporters after the game that he's in "a good bit of pain" and that his availability for Game 2 is "in jeopardy." We'll know soon enough if Morant is able to play, and if he's not, then it'll put the Grizzlies at risk of going down 2-0 in this series before it shifts to Los Angeles.

In preparation for Game 2, here's everything you need to know about this matchup. 

(2) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers

  • Date: Wednesday, April 19 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: FedEx Forum -- Memphis
  • TV channel: TNT | Live stream: TNT app
  • Odds: Lakers -1; O/U 226.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)

Storylines

Grizzlies: Morant's status for Game 2 is without a doubt the biggest storyline on either side of this matchup. If he's unable to play, then Memphis will need a true team effort to pull out a win against the Lakers. It's certainly possible, and the Grizzlies' 6-3 record when Morant missed extended time during the regular season shows that this team is capable of winning without the star guard. However, it won't be easy. There's issues outside of just potentially missing Morant that Memphis will need to fix for Game 2, like limiting the number of second-chance points the Lakers get. In Game 1, the Grizzlies gave up 22 second-chance points to the Lakers, and I know what you're thinking, this wouldn't happen if Steven Adams wasn't injured. You're right, Adams' rebounding significantly helped the Grizzlies, but they don't have him right now. That means that Jaren Jackson Jr. -- or Mr. Defensive Player of the Year -- and Xavier Tillman need to clear the boards and not let the Lakers get multiple opportunities on offense. 

Lakers: Can the Lakers bank on shooting 43.2% from 3-point range? Will Austin Reaves carry over his 20-points-a-night performance from Game 1? Is Rui Hachimura really going to pop off for 29 points again? These are all things that the Grizzlies are banking on not happening again. Desmond Bane even said as much after the loss, questioning if Hachimura can go on a heater like he did in Game 1. That level of scoring may not be a constant from L.A.'s role players throughout this series, and when that happens the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. We've seen before how unsuccessful this Lakers team can be when A.D. and LeBron are the only two contributing, if that happens at any point in this postseason, they'll have to find answers to adjust.

Prediction

Making a pick without knowing the status of Morant is difficult to do right now. But even if he were to play, I don't think he would be fully healthy, which puts the Grizzlies at a disadvantage. Missing Adams and Brandon Clarke in this series were already two major losses for Memphis, and having a not-fully-healthy Morant is another reason to suggest that the Grizzlies could be in trouble to lose this series. The pick: Lakers -1