Lakers shrug at playoff seedings, don't feel like 'underdogs'

MEMPHIS — For just the second time in LeBron James' 16 trips to the NBA playoffs, he'll start of a first-round series on the road Sunday when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Grizzlies (3 p.m. ET, ABC).

While the Lakers are the No. 7 seed facing off against No. 2 Memphis, L.A.'s leaders don't see a major disparity between the two teams.

«I think seeding doesn't matter,» Lakers big man Anthony Davis said after practice Saturday on the auxiliary court at FedEx Forum. «Once you get in, it's all about matchups and things like that. We don't look at ourselves as underdogs, obviously.»

The Lakers enter the playoffs as winners of 10 of their last 12 games, and 19 of their last 29, capped by Tuesday's 108-102 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Back in 2018, when James was asked about his Cleveland Cavaliers potentially not having homecourt advantage in their first-round series, he said, «If I come into your building for a Game 1, it can be very challenging.» On Saturday, he echoed Davis' point about the playoffs providing a blank slate.

«It's 16 teams in the postseason, and there's opportunity for all 16,» James said. «Everyone's record is 0-0 now and we're playing against a very worthy opponent and we respect them a lot. So we just got to be ready for the challenge.»

Memphis is paced by All-Star guard Ja Morant, whose play has only risen in two trips to the playoffs thus far, upping his regular-season averages from 22.4 points and 7.4 assists to 28.2 points and 9.2 assists per game in the postseason.

They also have a top Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Jaren Jackson Jr. and a budding star in Desmond Bane.

The Grizzlies ranked No. 3 in defensive rating (the Lakers were 12th); they ranked No. 11 in offensive