Getty Lakers coach Darvin Ham talks to Dennis Schroder
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had a lot of great things to say about Dennis Schroder after the LakeShow beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals at the Chase Center.
Ham, who has a close relationship with Schroder, said the guard was “huge” in Game 1.
Darvin Ham: “Dennis was huge man. He’s definitely a two-way player. He’s gonna come out and give it his all on both sides of the ball.”
“That’s my guy. That’s why we wanted him on our team. We know how he plays, especially in big moments. … He’s not afraid of the moment, and he asks to have the ball in his hands and our guys trust him to have the ball in his hands.”
– Darvin Ham on Dennis Schroder
Schroder played 31 minutes in Game 1, finishing with 19 points and three steals off the bench while shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. The veteran hit the game-sealing free-throws to put the Lakers up five with 2.1 seconds left in regulation.
Los Angeles defeated Golden State in Game 1 by a final score of 117-112. Ham and Co. stole home-court advantage, just like they did in the first round versus the Memphis Grizzlies. Game 2 of this series is on May 4.
Draymond Green Didn’t Mention Dennis Schroder While Praising the Lakers
After the Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings in Game 7 in the first round, Draymond Green recorded a podcast talking about how good the Lakers are. However, he didn’t mention Schroder.
“They’re playing very good basketball,” Green said. “D’Angelo (Russell) at the point, Austin Reaves — whichever one you consider the point guard — they both have a lot of ball-handling responsibilities. Austin Reaves has been playin’ lights out for the past two and a half months. D’Angelo Russell found his stroke those last couple games against Memphis. Rui Hachimura has been playin’ great basketball. Jarred Vanderbilt, swiss army knife, does it all. Obviously, you got LeBron James at the four, goes without saying. Anthony Davis at the five, goes without saying. Troy Brown comin’ off the bench. Rui’s been comin’ off the bench as well, giving these guys great minutes. Malik Beasley comin’ in shootin’. Hadn’t found his stroke, but he’s a shooter and you gotta respect that, and at any moment, you know he can get goin’.
“They are a complete team. The vibes around the team is great. They play a really good brand of basketball. They defend. They present some challenges on the offensive end as well. It’ll be up to us to meet that force with force. You know they’re gonna rebound the basketball. They’ve done that incredibly well.”
Green may have just forgotten to mention Schroder, who averaged 12.6 points and 4.5 assists for the Lakers during the regular season. The purple and gold are certainly glad Schroder is on their side.
Dennis Schroder: I Might Have to Get an IV Tonight
Schroder chased Warriors superstar Stephen Curry all around the court in Game 1 and his body is feeling the side effects of that. The 29-year-old told reporters after the game that he might need to get an IV.
Dennis Schroder: “Steph is probably the best conditioning wise in sports because he’s running around for 23 seconds and still getting a shot. … I might have to get an IV tonight.”
Curry put up 27 points in Game 1 while shooting 10-of-24 from the floor and 6-of-13 from beyond the arc. The two-time MVP did have five turnovers in 38 minutes.
Schroder and Jarred Vanderbilt did a good job of being physical with Curry and making things difficult for him at every turn. Rob Pelinka deserves credit for signing Schroder last summer in free agency and trading for Vanderbilt at the February trade deadline.