NBA playoff dispatches: Tillman leads Grizzlies past Lakers with Morant sidelined

FOX Sports writers are providing takeaways from games throughout the NBA playoffs. Here are their thoughts from the first Wednesday of the postseason.

Grizzlies 103, Lakers 93: Tillman in the spotlight

Guess who got the esteemed walk-off interview tonight in Game 2 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies?

Xavier Tillman.

Don’t be ashamed if you had to Google his name and do some research on his bona fides before continuing reading. Even he was surprised that he was in that position.

When asked if entering Wednesday’s game he thought when he arrived at FedExForum he’d be getting the big TV interview, he didn’t hold back.

“Hell … I mean, no,” he said. “Definitely not.”

But that’s what can happen when a role player scores a team-high 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting and 13 rebounds, leading his team to a 103-93 win and evening a series at 1-1.

The Grizzlies were all but counted out about an hour before tip-off when it was announced that Ja Morant would miss Game 2.

But it set up what many coaches around the league refer to as a “trick game” for the Lakers, meaning they’d be in danger of taking their foot off the gas knowing they were facing an opponent without its best player.

The Lakers fell victim to that saying. In the first half, the Grizzlies led by as much as 16 points. They outscored the Lakers in points in the paint, 38-20. And Anthony Davis was held to just six points on 1-for-9 shooting.

The Grizzlies went on to extend their lead to as much as 20 points in the third quarter before the Lakers finally rallied, cutting their deficit to as few as six points a few times in the second half. But they were unable to complete the comeback.

Tillman was one of six Grizzlies players who scored in double-digits, with Jaren Jackson Jr. (18 points and nine rebounds) and Desmond Bane (17 points) also making significant contributions.

Meanwhile, Davis finished with just 13 points on 4-for-12 shooting for the Lakers. (LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points and 12 rebounds and Rui Hachimura added 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting.)

Now, the series will move back to Los Angeles. And if Morant is able to return, the Lakers could surely regret not playing with the requisite energy and effort in Game 2.

As for Tillman, he got a much-deserved moment in the spotlight, one that surprised even him.

— Melissa Rohlin

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

Ric Bucher is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. He previously wrote for Bleacher Report, ESPN The Magazine and The Washington Post and has written two books, “Rebound,” on NBA forward Brian Grant’s battle with young onset Parkinson’s, and “Yao: A Life In Two Worlds.” He also has a daily podcast, “On The Ball with Ric Bucher.” Follow him on Twitter @RicBucher.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.