Despite starting the regular season 2-10, the Los Angeles Lakers qualified for the 2023 NBA playoffs as the seventh seed in the Western Conference with a gutsy, 108-102, overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament.
They overcame a 15-point deficit late in the third quarter to get here, and they did so by employing a withering defense that held Minnesota to 22 points over the final 21:23 of the contest.
The Lakers will face the Memphis Grizzlies, who finished 51-31 and claimed the second seed in the regular season, in the first round of the postseason. Game 1 will take place in Memphis at 3 p.m. Eastern time (noon Los Angeles time) on Sunday, April 16 on ABC.
The Grizzlies host the Lakers in Game 1 of their first round series Sunday at 3 ET on ABC
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 12, 2023
This should be a physical, intense series, not unlike Tuesday’s contest against the Timberwolves. Memphis features one of the game’s most explosive stars, guard Ja Morant, as well as several potent role players who are scrappy and feisty.
[lawrence-auto-related count=1]
[mm-video type=video id=01gxtmamddxze1fgcm96 playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxtmamddxze1fgcm96/01gxtmamddxze1fgcm96-3b10d55c05c87390bd9114adee0eb00e.jpg]