Anthony Davis is fulfiling his promise to his coach after their victory over Brooklyn Nets.
Anthony Davis made a promise to LA Laker’s coach Darvin Ham after their last loss in the NBA game.
Darvin Ham received some words of reassurance from All-Star big man Anthony Davis heading into the game Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets.
“Had a real good conversation with [Davis] after our last game, our last loss,” Ham said following the Lakers‘ 116-103 win over the Nets that snapped a five-game losing streak. “And he just said, ‘I got your back, Coach.’ And that was huge for me being a first-time head coach and having a player of that magnitude just constantly try and do everything you ask him to do.”
Davis had Ham’s back — and had Brooklyn’s number, filling up the stat sheet with season highs in both points (37) and rebounds (18).
Davis, who already was enjoying a bounce-back season after missing more than half of the Lakers’ games over the past two seasons because of injuries, had gone missing in the second half during several recent losses.
Before the contest Sunday, Ham said it was on Davis to remedy the lack of touches on his own.
“Just him demanding the ball,” Ham said. “It starts with that.”
Davis stated that he was motivated by seeing Green Bay upset the Dallas Cowboys.
“I was watching the Packers game before … and Aaron Rodgers threw a slant to Allen Lazard, he ran for like 40 yards. And he started [screaming] and flexing and all that, and it got me some motivation before the game,” Davis said.
“Just trying to dominate. Be dominant. Knowing that we had to get this win, knowing that a lot of guys — especially with [LeBron James] out — a lot of guys lean on me to try to get the job done.”
The Lakers will get four days off this week without a game to rest, rehab and prepare for the Pistons.
“We wanted to win tonight, for sure. Let us feel good going into this off week before Friday’s game,” Davis said. “It gives a chance for guys to kind of get away from the game for a couple days and reset and come back with a mentality that we got to run off some [wins] in a row.”
