Lakers Coach Drops Strong Statement on Warriors After Brutal Loss

Getty Darvin Ham, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Ham shared some thoughts on the Golden State Warriors, after his team's February 23 win.

The Golden State Warriors were back in action Thursday night, paying a visit to the Los Angeles Lakers. Golden State’s first game in over a week didn’t go so well, they fell to the new-look Lakers, 124-111. It was a night where L.A. controlled the entire second half, keeping the Warriors at a distance the entire time.

Following his team’s strong showing against the defending champs, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham discussed the challenges of defending the Dubs.

“Defensively, they put a lot of pressure on you,” he told reporters. “They play fast in the full-court, fast in the half-court, so you have to really have multiple efforts all over the place. I thought our guys did that… I thought it was a great win against a great ballclub.”

The loss at Crypto.com Arena dropped the Dubs one game below .500, bringing their record to 29-30. Golden State sits in 10th place out West, just a game and a half above the 13th place Lakers.

Golden State won’t have to wait long before getting a chance at redemption. They’ll be hosting the Houston Rockets Friday night at Chase Center.

Warriors’ Jordan Poole Has High Praise for Stephen Curry

The Warriors’ defeat against the Lakers marked their fourth in the six games that they’ve been without star guard Stephen Curry. Curry went down with a lower leg injury on February 4, in a matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, and has been sidelined ever since.

While the 3-point king has been working to recover, Warriors guard Jordan Poole has had to take on some additional responsibility. Poole sat down with Mark Medina of the NBA to discuss how his gameplan has shifted with Curry out of the lineup.

“He’s one of the greatest basketball players to play our game,” Poole said. “So, coverages and gameplans are different when he’s on the court. It’s awesome to be out there with him and see what it’s like to play off of him, learn and ask him questions. But it’s also a really fun challenge to play without him and try to lead a team at the highest level. I embrace everything. All the obstacles and challenges are really exciting and fun. I just enjoy playing the game and being able to make an impact on the game and try to win.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo Showers Warriors With Praise

Curry was not able to play in the All-Star Game last weekend due to his leg ailment. However, the Warriors did see some representation during the broadcast. Star forward Draymond Green was a part TBS’s stream of the festivities, serving as a sideline reporter during the game.

Green took the chance to chat with All-Star captain Giannis Antetokounmpo, who showered the Warriors with praise. When he was asked what it would take for his Milwaukee Bucks to win the title this season, the Greek Freak cited Golden State’s championship habits as something he’d like his team to emulate.

“We gotta build good habits. Just like you guys. You guys have built for six or seven years, great habits,” Antetokounmpo told Green via the NBA. “Like, no matter where you guys are in the ranking, you guys always have the opportunity to win because you’ve built such good habits that are hard to break.”