Getty Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers goes to the basket while Rudy Gobert guards.
Rudy Gobert had an interesting take on why things went south in a hurry against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
The Timberwolves had a solid halftime lead on the Lakers but LA was able to erase the deficit and get ahead in the third quarter. Gobert said the turning point was when Lakers star big man Anthony Davis turned his ankle.
“I had the ball in my hands and I could’ve went and dunked it, but AD was laying there,” Gobert said. “So I was like, that’s too ruthless, I’ll just pass it out. After that it was just turnover after turnover. It was just a tough stretch.”
The bad juju rolled over to the Timberwolves’ most recent outing against the Trail Blazers. Portland was missing four regular starters and entered the matchup as almost a 20-point underdog. However, the Blazers came out victorious, 107-105, and the Timberwolves dropped an important game in the standings.
Anthony Davis Ready to Roll Against Rockets
Any time Davis gets banged up it makes Lakers fans have PTSD, with the talented big man dealing with multiple issues over the last few years. He gutted through the injury against the Timberwolves, finishing with 38 points and 17 rebounds.
“I knew I was going to play regardless. Just that initial tweak, a little bit of pain and throbbing and stuff,” Davis said of his ankle. “Just let it kinda calm down, but I didn’t want to stay too long and then it kinda throbs more. Tied the shoes up tighter and just kinda played off adrenaline until the end of the game and then was able to get some treatment. But I’ll be fine.”
And with the Lakers trying to secure a playoff spot, Davis isn’t taking any time off. He’s ready to roll for Sunday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets.
Lakers Can Avoid Play-In With Strong Finish
Things looked grim for the Lakers at the start of the year but are hitting their stride at the right time with their new-look roster. But head coach Darvin Ham has been firm that his team can’t rest on their laurels after some big wins. They have to leave it all out there for their final five games, which may allow them to avoid the Play-In Tournament as the No. 6 seed— or higher.
“Just [want] us to remain tenacious, remain highly competitive, remain together,” Ham said. “Just know that we can’t be fat and happy. There are more things that we have to conquer.”
The Lakers recently got LeBron James back but Ham credited Davis for taking the lead during their most recent run.
“You’ve got to have that one pivotal force that’s leading the charge, and in our case with this particular team here in the moment it’s AD,” Ham said. “When he comes out and he’s aggressive and we’re feeding him and he’s not settling and he’s putting pressure on the paint, putting pressure on the rim, we find ourselves having a lot of success.”
The Lakers are a 12-point favorite against the Rockets on Sunday.