After Dillon Brooks said he wouldn't respect anyone until they scored 40 on him, the Lakers eliminated the Grizzlies, winning by that margin. Apr 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) dribbles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) in the second quarter during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Any thoughts about the Memphis Grizzlies carrying the momentum of their Game 5 win into Game 6 on Friday night were short-lived. The Los Angeles Lakers had little problem dispatching the Grizzlies in Game 6, winning 125-85, completing the first-round upset.

After the Grizzlies won Game 2 to even the series, Dillon Brooks thought it would be a good idea to call out LeBron James, saying “I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40.”

To be fair, LeBron did not score 40 in Game 6, or any of the other games in the series. In fact, his series high was 28, which came in that Game 2 loss. In Game 6, he scored 22. Of course, that came in only 31 minutes. James didn’t need to exert a lot of energy down the stretch, as the Lakers led by 17 at halftime and 33 after the third quarter.

And while LeBron didn’t score 40 in Game 6, the Lakers won the game by that exact margin. The significance of that was not lost on NBA fans, who roundly mocked the Grizzlies — specifically Brooks — following the game.

And while LeBron has accomplished a lot in his career and won plenty of playoff series, none have ever been closed out by such a decisive margin.

Brooks made himself a target with his words. Now, he can expect some backlash.

[ESPN Stats & Info]

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