Schedule and 2022-23 Results
Regular Season Records: Memphis 51-31, Los Angeles Lakers 43-39
Game 1 on Sunday, 16 April: Los Angeles Lakers win at Memphis, 128-pts-112
Game 2 on Wednesday, 19 April: Los Angeles Lakers lose at Memphis, 103-pts-93
Game 3 on Saturday, 22 April: Memphis loses at Los Angeles Lakers, 111-pts-101
Game 4 on Monday, 24 April: Memphis loses at Los Angeles Lakers, 117-pts-111(OT)
Game 5 on Wednesday, 26 April: Los Angeles Lakers lose at Memphis, 116-pts-99
Game 6 on Friday, 28 April: Memphis loses at Los Angeles Lakers, 125-pts-85

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Los Angeles Lakers hosted and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 125-pts-85 to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1538 victory. With the series 1538 win, the Los Angeles Lakers improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 73-32 overall and 9-4 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1538 loss, the Memphis Grizzlies see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 5-13 overall and 4-9 in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Los Angeles Lakers in series 1538 was WLWWLW: Series 1538 thus becomes the eighth NBA Preliminary-round series, the 26th NBA series (all rounds), and the 54th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion.

After Game 5: The Memphis Grizzlies hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 116-pts-99 to reduce the Los Angeles Lakers best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1538 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 32-4 (with an active eight-series winning streak) and a Game 6 record of 22-14. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 0-5 and a Game 6 record of 2-3. Leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series with a win order of WLWWL, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 5-0 series record (3-0 when playing Game 1 on the road).

After Game 4: The Los Angeles Lakers hosted and bested the Memphis Grizzlies 117-pts-111(OT) to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1538 lead of 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 35-1 (with an active eight-series winning streak) and a Game 5 record of 23-13. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 0-3 and a Game 5 record of 2-1. The sole loss sustained by the Los Angeles Lakers in the wake of a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1 lead occurred in series 977, to the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 NBA Preliminary round. With their series 1538 Game 4 loss, the Memphis Grizzlies in best-of-7 NBA playoff series see their Game 4 losing streak increase to four games, irrespective of Games 1-3 outcomes.

After Game 3: The Los Angeles Lakers hosted and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 111-pts-101 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1538 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 46-6 and a Game 4 record of 29-23. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 1-4 and a Game 4 record of 2-3. The Los Angeles Lakers led the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 35-points-9 after one quarter of series 1538 Game 3. The nine points by Memphis were the first single-digit total in the first quarter of a best-of-7 NBA playoff game since series 1305, in which the Boston Celtics tallied only seven first-quarter points in their 2016 NBA Preliminary-round Game 2 against the Hawks in Atlanta. The 26-point lead by the Lakers in series 1538 Game 3 ties series 224 (Milwaukee Bucks 40 at Philadelphia 76ers 14, 1970 NBA Quarterfinals Game 3) and series 1469 (Miami Heat 20 at Milwaukee Bucks 46, 2021 NBA Preliminary round Game 2) for the largest lead after one quarter in a best-of-7 NBA playoff game.

After Game 2: The Memphis Grizzlies hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 103-pts-93 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1538 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 3-6 and a Game 3 record of 6-3, while the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 26-13 and a Game 3 record of 27-12 (with an active eight-Game 3 winning streak).

After Game 1: The Los Angeles Lakers visited and topped the Memphis Grizzlies 128-pts-112 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1538 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 59-7 (with an active 24-series winning streak) and a Game 2 record of 45-21. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 3-10 and a Game 2 record of 6-7. The last best-of-7 NBA playoff series lost by the Los Angeles Lakers after a Game 1 win was series 597, which the Lakers lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 NBA Finals. The Lakers trailed the Grizzlies in Memphis by six points after two quarters of series 1538 Game 1, but rallied for the road victory: In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series beginning in 1947, road teams such as the Lakers which trailed by six points after two quarters had a game record of 30-125 (.194). Series 1538 Game 1 marks the third best-of-7 NBA playoff game in which the Los Angeles Lakers trailed by six points on the road after two quarters, but won the game: In series 841, the Lakers staged a similar comeback in Sacramento over the Kings, in Game 4 of the 2001 NBA Quarterfinals; in series 1176, the Lakers did likewise in Denver over the Nuggets, in Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Preliminary round.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2022-23 NBA regular season, the Memphis Grizzlies finished eight games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers. From 1947 through the 2022 NBA Finals round, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by eight regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 26-7 (.788) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1538 is the 18th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Memphis Grizzlies, and the 105th for the Los Angeles Lakers. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Memphis Grizzlies have an all-rounds series record of 5-12, a Preliminary-round series record of 4-8, and a Game 1 record of 4-13, while the Los Angeles Lakers have an all-rounds series record of 72-32, a Preliminary-round series record of 8-4, and a Game 1 record of 66-38. Series 1538 is the first best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers.