Getty Dennis Schroder, Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis
After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors on March 5 at Crypto.com Arena, Dennis Schroder had some lofty praise for Anthony Davis.
Schroder called Davis a top-five player in the world. The Chicago native torched the Warriors for 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists and hit the game-sealing basket with under a minute to play in regulation.
“AD is AD. One of one,” Schroder said of Davis. “When he’s in attack mode, it’s always going to be tough to stop him. I mean, Draymond (Green), of course, he’s one of the best defenders in the league, but AD is a top-five player in the world. So he made a hell of a play there. We needed that bucket.”
The Warriors had no one who could guard Davis, who shot 14-of-25 from the field and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. The future Hall of Famer had a plus-minus of +17.
“Obviously with Bron (LeBron James) out, the team’s gonna rely on me more to make plays for myself, for others,” Davis said. “Other guys are stepping up, playing well, making shots, defending. So it’s a team effort. I think we did a good job on both ends of the floor tonight. Like I said, it’s a team [the Warriors] that’s seen every defensive coverage, seen a lot of shots go in over the years, been together for a while, championship experience. So it’s a big win for us.”
The Lakers improved to 31-34 after defeating the Warriors. They have the same record as the Utah Jazz, who are in the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings. Seeds 7-10 make the play-in tournament, while seeds 1-6 automatically qualify for the playoffs.
Darvin Ham on Anthony Davis: ‘He’s in a Very Great Place Right Now’
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said after the Warriors game that Davis is “in a very great place right now.” AD is averaging 33.8 points and 11.8 rebounds over his last four games.
“He’s in a very great place right now,” Ham said. “He has an unwillingness to settle and is staying in attack mode. He’s playing pain-free and with great rhythm. We also have different pieces around him he can play off at a high level.”
Davis is averaging 26.4 points and 12.3 rebounds on the season while shooting 56.0% from the floor. The one-time NBA champion was proud of the way he and his teammates responded to the runs the Warriors made.
“They’re defending champions,” Davis said. “They’re gonna make a run, make plays, make shots. Between Steph (Stephen Curry), Klay (Thompson) and Jordan Poole, they’re elite shooters. I think we locked in defensively. They got away a couple times, but we just continued to compete. Even when they made their runs, we made a run of our own and we were able to close the game out.”
The Lakers Will Face the Grizzlies Without Ja Morant
The Lakers’ next game is against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 7. Grizzlies star Ja Morant won’t play, so Los Angeles could be favored to win that contest. The All-Star point guard is away from the team as the NBA conducts an investigation into an Instagram Live video he posted in which he displayed a gun while at a nightclub.
“The league, if it finds wrongdoing, could fine or suspend Morant,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne wrote on March 5. “The NBA collective bargaining agreement forbids players from possessing a firearm while at an NBA facility or traveling for league business. In 2010, the NBA suspended Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas indefinitely for bringing weapons to the team’s locker room.”
Morant is averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists on the season. In two games versus the Lakers, the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year is averaging 30.5 points and 9.0 assists.