Anthony Davis Dominates Grizzlies as Lakers Enter Play-in Mix... And Retire Pau Gasol's Jersey!

It's been a long, long, looooooooong climb, filled with some ups and a whole bunch of downs and aided by a Western Conference that just refuses to kick it into high gear... but the Lakers have finally crawled back into the playoff picture. After beating the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, behind yet another epic effort from Anthony Davis (30 points, 22 rebounds, 11-17 shooting, two blocked shots), the Lakers are back in the West's top 10, meaning if the season ended today, they'd be in the play-in. (And tonight, SB Nation/Silver Screen and Roll's Harrison Faigen joins to break it all down!) It's a remarkable piece of progress for a team that has seen long-term injuries to Davis and LeBron James, has barely played with D'Angelo Russell since acquiring him, and generally has had little to no continuity for... years. But since the trade deadline, the Lakers have won seven of 10, despite all the absences. The sample size is large enough to say that, while the O might still struggle, the defense is vastly improved. And Tuesday, the Lakers locked up the Grizzlies (admittedly a shorthanded version of that crew) on a night where Jarred Vanderbilt, who has been a defensive catalyst since his arrival, wasn't all that impactful. But really, it starts with Davis. His elevated play isn't just needed because it gives the Lakers a shot to compete, but because it elevates his teammates, too. They can play with the swagger and freedom of guys who know they have one of THOSE DUDES on their team. The schedule going forward has plenty of winnable games, so what's the realistic upside, here? Finally, Tuesday night the Lakers sent Pau Gasol's #16 to the rafters, in an emotional ceremony. Truly one of the most unique, talented and high quality humans the Lakers organization has ever seen. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, with guest Harrison Faigen! SEGMENT 1: Lakers win! And with that, they're part of the play-in gang, at least for now. SEGMENT 2: How high can they go? Well, if Anthony Davis keeps doing *this*... there's upside. SEGMENT 3: A perfect night honoring Pau Gasol. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. Ultimate Pro Basketball GM To download the game just visit probasketballgm.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store. PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON BetterHelp This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at Betterhelp.com/LockedOnNBA and get on your way to being your best self. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices