Lakers Star Anthony Davis Sounds Off After Eliminating Warriors

Anthony Davis

Getty Images Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Golden State Warriors 122-101 in Game 6 to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals.

And Anthony Davis wanted to NBA world to know they’re not done yet.

“We want to shock the world,” Davis told ESPN in his postgame on-court interview.

In their postgame press conference, James and Davis were asked about the expectations for the Lakers and if they were playing with “house money.” Both laughed it off.

“We’re trying to win every hand,” James said.

“That’s ya’ll expectation,” Davis added. “Our expectations inside (the team) are way higher than showing up to the Western Conference finals.”

After getting by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament, the Lakers bounced the No. 2 seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and finished off the defending champions for their second feat. Now, the Lakers get the top-seeded Denver Nuggets with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line.

“It’s going to be a great series. Two well-coached teams,” LeBron James said. “They’ve been No. 1 in the West all year long. We give them a lot of respect. If we’re not locked in, they’ll put it to us. We’ll take a couple of days but will lock in on our assignments.”

The Nuggets pushed pasted Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns in their Western Conference Semifinal series. Denver did so in six games behind Nikola Jokic, who averaged a triple-double.

As Lakers head coach Darvin Ham put it, there’s a “monster in the Rocky Mountains waiting for us.”


Lakers Relish Knocking Off Warriors

The Lakers started the season 2-10 and their playoff hopes were dim for most of the year. But LA reshaped its roster at the trade deadline and the Lakers have hit their stride at the right time.

“It’s been a challenging year, to say the least, but we kept powering through,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Our vibes stayed positive, and finally our new pieces came together. I’m just so excited I get to sit in this seat and enjoy the ride.”

Taking down the Warriors was a tall task that the Lakers were game for. Austin Reaves played a big role, scoring 23 points in the closeout game — second to only James. He credited LeBron and Davis for their leadership and experience in high-pressure spots.

“It’s special to get that win to beat a team that’s so established and so good,” Reaves said. “I think the seeding things are just numbers. When you have guys like Bron and AD who have won championships, you always feel like you have a chance, especially with the roster that we have, the talent that we have.”

The Lakers squad as a whole doesn’t have a lot of history against the Warriors. But James does, facing off against the Golden State dynasty multiple times on the Finals stage during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I’m happy for him. I know he wanted this series badly,” Reaves said.

There was a lot of postgame respect between the sides, although Game 6 came with a bit of controversy. Fiesty guard Dennis Schroder — who was inserted into the starting lineup — was tossed after a pair of altercations with Draymond Green but the Lakers were able to keep things afloat without him.


LeBron James Has Respect for What Nuggets Have Done

The Nuggets and Lakers split their four-game regular-season series but the teams have not faced off since January 9. Denver took that most recent matchup 122-109 but the Lakers have changed quite a bit since then.

“They’ve played exceptional basketball all year,” James said in his postgame press conference. “And we go on with that most respect for their ballclub. Very well coached. And obviously, we know they’re dynamic with what [Jokic] brings to the game and also Jamal Murray being back fully healthy and the rest of those guys.”

The time for preparation will come but James said the immediate focus will be on recovery.

“Tomorrow is the day for us to kind of get away from the game a little bit,” James said. “Just kind of chill out with our families and recoup a little bit.”

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is scheduled for Tuesday in Denver.

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