There was concern about how the Los Angeles Lakers would play in a potential close-out Game 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies after falling in Game 5 by 17 points.
But with the home crowd fueling it, Los Angeles not only won, but dominated the entire contest.
After Memphis took a 9-5 lead, Los Angeles scored nine unanswered points. From that point, it was a purple and gold tsunami. The Lakers went up 59-42 at halftime. Unlike in Game 3 when they got out to a huge lead, they actually extended their lead in the third quarter. They ended the period with a 100-67 advantage thanks to a relentless killer instinct.
With 9:42 left in the fourth quarter, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane left the game for Memphis, and from there the Lakers cruised to a 125-85 victory. Their defense was savage, as they held Memphis to just 30.2 percent shooting.
They advance to the Western Conference semifinals for only the second time since 2012, and it is the first time since then that the Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) crowd has enjoyed a Lakers playoff game in a series that they won.
The team will face the winner of Game 7 between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings in the next round starting on Tuesday. It is a scenario that seemed completely unthinkable for many until the last few weeks.