One day later and it’s no easier to fathom the circumstances that led to the Lakers opening their return to the playoffs with a victory against the team with the best home record in the NBA this season in the Grizzlies.
It was not a herculean performance from the ageless LeBron James. It was not an out-of-this-world two-way game from Anthony Davis, though he was certainly a force defensively. It wasn’t even a red-hot shooting game from D’Angelo Russell.
No, it was Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, one a mid-season acquisition and one in his first-ever playoff game.