James Worthy Reacts To Lakers Game 1 vs Grizzlies | April 16, 2023

What a start to the series the Lakers get game number one in Memphis the heroes of course ad7 blocks LeBron a double-double We know all that but it's Rui and it's Reeves combining for 52 points and big game James. I want to give you this stacks I think you're gonna love it first playoff game with four Lakers 20 or more points since 1988 Kareem magic Byron and big game James Yeah This was a special special special game a great start To the playoffs and what we had And I hope you guys can see this. Yes, we can is that what it takes To win in the NBA you have to be connected you have to trust your teammates You have to have that cohesiveness you have to believe in one another and that's exactly what we saw in this first game versus Memphis 56 points in the paint 26 fast break points ad had seven blocks seven the team had eleven LeBron had three they shot the free throws well and The role players Were so magnificent started with with with Rui Rui came in hitting threes kept us in the game and then rivers closed it out Collectively might be one the best game. I've seen his team play And you know it's just it's just a great start Focused down the stretch turned it over a little bit a little sloppy in the first half But down the stretch man that big run at the end was just it was just remarkable to see That the Lakers have been on a 9-2 run coming up and to this that they're trending I Always said peaking at the right time is good and boy or did they peak tonight or this afternoon? Yeah, I mean that game against Minnesota. They seem tired. You know they were kind of stumbling through it Not today five days between games. They look fresh They were the better team by far in that fourth quarter that run they had at 15-0 run Unbelievable way to end that game Rui Hachimura remember he wasn't near the trade deadline really he was about two and a half weeks before The trade deadline that was kind of the quieter trade Only cost him three second round draft picks which they got back a couple weeks later when they made all their draft day Draft day deals tons of credit to him. It's it's the big body. It's it's James It's that knock on him that maybe he doesn't burn all the time. Maybe there's no dog there was dog in there He has to win. He's been showing it time and time again in the Laker uniform He's not afraid to use his physicality. Yes. He's not afraid to defend and he stepped up in a big way It's been a gradual ascent for him You know he comes in and get used to LeBron get used to ad figure out what coach ham Wants from him as a role player, and then he was able to take his talents and place them in each category score Defender you remember a few weeks back. He had some big block shots at the rim Big wide shoulders. He's a big strong physical guy You know Don't don't take me. You know don't take it seriously here because he's not a quiet Leonard But he has those type of moves He has two shoulders so he has the ability to get to his spot and get his shot off and from three today He was phenomenal on both ends of the court when he when he possesses his physicality on the defensive end You don't see it all the time sometimes. It's just you can't get around and you can't move him Very very valuable in tonight's game he and he and Reeves The double R's they got busy You guys are seeing the Hall of Famer at work. Not only did he have a whiteboard. It's also a purple Sharpie So he used only someone with his credentials can pull that off. That was amazing, and I love it So let's go back to Memphis now good job big game James D'Angelo Russell is with my true down All right, D'Angelo Russell. What a close for you guys and what a victory You just went over to say something to Austin Reeves Rui Hachimura huge off the bench you LeBron ad provided a lot in that starting lineup, but kind of a total team effort Exactly team effort team effort I think everybody was excited for everybody in this one and everybody played their part and contributed And we got it done as simple as that everybody's capable on our team And I think that's what makes us scared Yeah You told us when you got here your grown man now real even keeled Wasn't the best shooting game for you against the Timberwolves you bounce back after a slow start Find a rhythm here and really help the team out How did you approach this game mentally? Just locked in from from since I woke up tried to be locked in with my approach and let my craft take over from there the preparation depend on that and This is the result a lot of firepower down the stretch with you LeBron ad out there But it was Austin getting going a lot I know you've been a fan of his game since you've been playing with him. What'd you see? Honestly, he was just patient. He was patient from the jump got going He's out the game a little bit came back still on kill mode. That's what we need. That's what we need I mean, we need everybody to be aggressive and they have the mentality that they can get us up out of here, you know Ron ad carry the load for a long time They carry the load for a long time for us to just help them and support that and step up big The sky's the limit for this group. I already mentioned Rui Hachimura how terrific he was off the bench But I also want to point to Anthony Davis defensively six blocks three steals. What's it like having him in there defensively? He's one of the best players in the NBA simple as that I don't think that gets enough credit to know that you're one of the best players in the NBA and he's one of them we got two of them so for our group to come out and just Sustain that and stay locked in as a unit and get the win. It's huge. I do know one Oh, well, no, I know what it feels like to be one over here. You guys stay locked in get the next one Kilo a very efficient game 19.7 assists was able to hit a few threes. I do want to talk about Austin Reeves We were having a lot of fun here The Dodger guys were over here James Loney John Hartung and everyone watching Austin Reeves go on that run in the fourth quarter and we all Just said it's pretty amazing James when LeBron is on the team and he's playing off ball And you're watching Austin Reeves take the team and make the decisions down the stretch on the pick and roll He had a mid-range. He had a layup He had a three he had another mid-range He had two free throws and he also went around the back to Rui Those are six possessions in a row that Austin Reeves had the decision-making his ability not afraid of the moment first time in the playoffs pretty special when he gets the ball and he starts to navigate and the Defenses beside him or behind him. He's going to get that little bump Shot floater or he's gonna make the right decision Hitting big shots when we needed them down the stretch big threes behind the back pass Finding the LeBron and AD at the right moments. He doesn't panic a lot of guys Will make a pass one second too early Not Reeves. He'll wait. He'll wait to the right and then he's is so fun to watch and just a extremely smart player and Brez in the fourth quarter 14 points five four five. How about that? Can you get any better? No, I mean, it's funny I was coming down the hallway of the doors open here to the studio and I heard you explode Yeah, and I realized something good. Sometimes you miss it when you walk from the conference room, right? It's it's it's a dangerous walk You want to get in here as quickly as you can and I'm like I'm missing a play, but I heard you yell Yeah, so I knew it was something good for the Lakers. That was the Reeves behind the back pass Absolutely worth watching our replay a couple times We're gonna give the Laker front office some credit here, you know deadline day You've got the Russell Westbrook situation was not working. So you bring D'Angelo Russell in I love that type of stuff six new guys Coming in we already talked about Rui and D'Angelo by the way one for nine shooting in that play in game on Tuesday He was very confident. Yeah, I mean very confident talking to the media since then he said, you know I just got to keep shooting. I can make ten in a row That's gonna be hard to do in an NBA game But he absolutely jumped back into the forefront of the Laker game plan today. Great great all-around game for D'Angelo and big game I know you'll agree with me because you're a top 75 player of all time and you've won championships The beauty of this game is that we've been talking for 10 minutes and we haven't had to talk about LeBron and AD yet and they also had fantastic games That's the sign of a good win and a good team because it meant that everyone was contributing It's the beauty of letting the team unfold. I mean, of course AD and LeBron We can't win without them, okay but when you have a supporting cast that does what what what Reeves does what Schroeder does what Rui has done and You know the way Vanderbilt started on on John John 10 points I believe in the first half so I just this team is Definitely exemplifying teamwork and it hasn't happened fast They've had to work their way up to it to attend start injuries 30 plus different starting lineups nine and two the last, you know several games playing game They're picking at the right time. Yeah, and it got a worthy clap We got a whiteboard and it must be playoffs a busy post game must be the playoffs