Lakers Analytics Team Seems to Confirm Longstanding Fan Theory

Ahead of a critical 134-127 Los Angeles Lakers victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, it was announced that two-time All-Star Memphis point guard Ja Morant was returning from an injury absence for the first time in six games.

In the Grizzlies' loss, the 6-foot-2 pro scored 22 points on 9-of-23 shooting from the field (1-of-5 from deep) and 3-of-5 shooting from the foul line, dished out 10 dimes, grabbed eight rebounds, and swiped a steal.

The Lakers' "Big Three" of five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Doncic, 21-time All-Star power forward LeBron James and guard Austin Reaves combined for a whopping 85 points.

Reaves submitted a game-high 31 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor (5-of-8 from distance) and 10-of-10 shooting from the foul line. He also passed for eight dimes and grabbed seven boards.

Morant's return pointed to a broader Lakers fan conspiracy theory: that opposing teams' players often targeted Los Angeles games when returning from injury.

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, that assumption has been on the minds of Lakers brass, too. Head coach JJ Redick revealed that L.A.'s analytics team investigated the hypothesis.