Kings force a Game 7 while the Lakers defeat the Grizzlies to go to the NBA’s final eight.

The Los Angeles Lakers finished off their first-round shock of the Memphis Grizzlies with a 125-85 victory in Game 6 on Friday night. D’Angelo Russell scored a playoff-high 31 points, Anthony Davis had 16 points, 14 rebounds, and five shots blocked in an outstanding defensive effort.

For the seventh-seeded Lakers, who easily won a playoff series in their own arena for the first time since 2012, LeBron James scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

The Lakers won all three of their games at home throughout the series, and their triumph in game three was a terrifying illustration of what they are capable of when James and Davis are both healthy. In Game 6, Memphis’ offence was mostly shut down by Davis’ commanding defensive presence, while Russell’s five three-pointers highlighted a strong offensive performance from a late-blooming club with championship hopes.

Before superfan Jack Nicholson and a boisterous crowd, the Lakers took a 20-point lead at the half and a 36-point lead in the third quarter before coasting to victory. Even better, James and Davis were permitted to sit out the whole fourth quarter in order to save their legs for the next round.

Even though the Lakers are a star-studded squad that is no ordinary seventh seed, they had to win a play-in game in order to advance to a playoff series. Tuesday’s game pits Los Angeles against the winner of the Game 7 between Sacramento and the reigning champion Golden State, which will take place on Sunday.

For the Grizzlies, who won 107 games and two Southwest Division crowns in the previous two seasons but only one postseason series, Ja Morant scored 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting.

While Davis loomed in the middle, Morant’s injured right hand appeared to hinder his shot and he didn’t seem willing to drive the paint with his usual fearlessness. Desmond Bane, who ensured a Game 7 with 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting, and Jaren Jackson Jr. both had 14 points on 3-of-12 shooting, but Morant’s teammates were unable to help him.

Dillon Brooks, the Memphis agitator who called James “old” after Game 2 and then received a technical foul for elbowing James in the groyne in Game 3, closed the series poorly with 10 points in Game 6 as Lakers supporters booed him at every turn.

The Lakers, a 17-time champion team with a fan base used to brilliance, had gone 11 years without winning a playoff series outside of the Florida bubble.

James and Davis had shared a championship, but prior to the previous two months, when their supporting cast significantly improved at the trade deadline with multiple signings led by Russell, James and Davis had done nothing to stand out in front of their home supporters. In postseason series when they both played in every game together, the dynamic tandem improved to 5-0.

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The Grizzlies lost their first four road games this season against the Lakers and had the second-worst road record among the 16 NBA playoff clubs. After consecutive losses in Los Angeles put them behind 3-1 in the series, they avoided elimination by winning in Memphis on Wednesday.

Lakers supporters were up in droves because they understood the gravity of the situation, which was emphasised by the 86-year-old Nicholson’s return to his courtside seats following a nearly two-year hiatus. Their squad came through, opening up a 20-point advantage at the half and extending it to 36 points in the third.

Due to Luke Kennard’s ailing shoulder, the Grizzlies were forced to play without their leading three-point shooter, further depleting their depth on a squad that already lacked Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke due to injuries.

Golden State Warriors lose to the Sacramento Kings 118–99.

The Sacramento Kings defeated Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors 118-99 on Friday night in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series. Malik Monk scored 28 points, De’Aaron Fox added 26 points and 11 assists, and the Kings avoided elimination.

Now, a winner-takes-all Game 7 will be played on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento.

Lakers

The No. 3-seeded Kings, who had their special season on the line, withstood every scoring surge the defending champions made on their home court and shone in nearly every area of this one. Rookie Keegan Murray scored 15 points with four three-pointers and grabbed 12 rebounds for his first playoff double-double.

Kevin Huerter, who had only made 20 of 52 shots heading into the game, sank a three with 6:23 left and another with 4:58 left to give Sacramento one more opportunity to Light the Beam.

With 29 points, 22 points from Klay Thompson, and 13 more rebounds from Kevon Looney, Curry has the most rebounds in the NBA’s postseason with 85. He had just pulled down a career-high 22 boards in a victory in Game 5 at Golden 1 Centre.

However, the Kings, who were playing in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, responded to almost every big play made by Golden State in the third quarter and took advantage of frequent errors. At the boards, they outworked the Warriors.

In the last 12 minutes, the Kings had a 90-80 advantage. Curry made an early three-pointer, but Trey Lyles quickly made a basket. The following possession, Curry drove for a layup, and Monk made one of his own.

Golden State was within 99-89 after Fox’s dunk with 9:28 remaining.

With 2:18 remaining in the first, Fox’s first shot resulted in a jumper for his first points. Then, despite having a broken index finger on his shooting hand, he scored again the next time down. He made 10 of 18 shots.

Sacramento ended the Warriors’ six-game home losing streak, which had its beginnings with a victory on February 25, 2020.

As a result of Domantas Sabonis’ foul issues, others stepped up and Lyles ended up with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Prior to fouling out with 5:17 remaining, the big man had 11 rebounds in addition to seven points.

The fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 123-116 loss had been particularly frustrating for Fox since it was the most shots he had ever taken in a final period without scoring. He went 0 for 6 from the field and was scoreless.

At the 6:26 mark of the first quarter, Draymond Green entered the game for the third straight time off the bench. He was greeted with a thunderous standing ovation. 10 were his assists.

The warm-up period with both teams was prolonged, with Sacramento opening 6 for 23 and Golden State starting 6 for 19.