Lakers ride red-hot Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves to Game 1 upset of Grizzlies as Ja Morant leaves with injury

LeBron James took a back seat Sunday, and Anthony Davis gave Lakers fans an injury scare.

Neither mattered, as the seventh-seeded Lakers scored a 128-112 Game 1 upset of the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies to take a 1-0 series lead, while Ja Morant left the fourth quarter due to an injury.

Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves led the scoring effort and a late run for the Lakers, while Davis returned strong after halftime from an apparent shoulder injury sustained in the first half. The Lakers closed the win with a 15-0 run to cap a dominant second half fueled by red-hot shooting from beyond the arc. The run blew open a game the Lakers led 113-112 with 3:11 remaining.

The win continued to reinforce midseason Lakers transactions that resulted in an 18-9 record after the trade deadline, as the team rallied from a slow start to secure a playoff spot. The loss was just the seventh of the season at home for Memphis, which finished with a league-best 35-6 home record in the regular season. Morant's injury becomes the focus in Memphis as the Grizzlies look to avoid an 0-2 hole.

Morant leaves late with injury

Morant left the game after a hard fall on his right hand late in the fourth quarter. With 5:48 remaining, he attacked the basket and fell to the court after making contact with Anthony Davis on an offensive foul. He immediately ran to the locker room.

He returned to the bench before the end of the game with a wrap on his hand but didn’t play again. Head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters after the game that X-rays on Morant's hand were negative, though Morant said his status for Game 2 is "in jeopardy." He described his pain level as a "10."

Lakers role players take over

The Lakers, meanwhile, followed a 5-for-18 3-point shooting mark at halftime with a scorching second half led by Hachimura and Reaves to steal Game 1 on the road. Hachimura, acquired from the Washington Wizards in January, scored a game-high 29 points while shooting 11-of-14 from the field and 5-of-6 from behind the arc.

Back-to-back Hachimura 3s helped the Lakers to a 91-85 lead as they notched 37 points in the third quarter. His previous career high with the Lakers was 20 points.

Reaves joined the outburst in the fourth, as the Lakers closed the game with a 32-22 edge in the final stanza that included a 15-0 run in the game's final minutes. He tallied 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-5 from 3-point distance. He scored 14 of his 23 in the fourth quarter of his first career playoff game. As a team, the Lakers shot 16-of-37 (43.2%) from beyond the arc, a stark contrast to a unit that struggled from long distance prior to a midseason makeover.

Anthony Davis strong before, after injury scare

Davis, meanwhile did his damage in the post and on defense, putting to rest any worries about a brief exit in the second quarter due to a shoulder injury. He grabbed his right arm in pain after contact on an offensive rebound with 1:15 remaining in the half and immediately said, "I can't move my arm."

He was reportedly diagnosed with a stinger and returned for the third quarter, apparently no worse for the injury. He anchored the Lakers defense in the first half while tallying 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks as he repeatedly challenged Grizzlies shots in the post.

He continued his strong play after halftime and finished the game with 22 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks. He continued to attack the basket on offense and challenge Grizzlies scoring efforts, putting to rest concern about his shoulder.

James finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, an effort that somehow seemed quiet next to the outbursts from Lakers role players.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 31 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks, continuing his breakout campaign that marks him as the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Desmond Bane added 22 points, while Morant finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

The Grizzlies shot 47.2% from the field and 36.1% from 3-point distance. It wasn't enough to overcome a Lakers team that shot 53.3% from the field, won the rebounding margin 45-34 and blocked 11 Grizzlies shots to just two from Memphis.

Game 2 will take place Wednesday in Memphis.