Lakers’ Darvin Ham: Anthony Davis is ‘feeling great’ after injury
Darvin Ham said the tall man Anthony Davis showed none Signs of a concussion after a blow to the head in the fourth quarter of Game 5.
Davis, Ham said, would be classed as “likely” for a potentially crucial game with the US Golden State Warriors on Friday at the Crypto.com Arena.
“He’s fine. We checked in with him and he’s doing great. Our medical staff gave us a great update,” said Ham, who met with reporters via conference call. “…He’s at the heart of what we’re trying to achieve on both sides of the ball and for us in general in terms of our success rate. So that was great, great news.”
Davis left the game late Wednesday after being hit by an elbow in the side of the head Kevin Looney. The The Lakers lost Game 5 121-106.
Ham said Davis was evaluated for a concussion after the game and acquitted.
Lebron James (foot) and Dennis Schroeder (Achilles) also appeared to be hampered by injuries in Game 5, but Ham said both are fine going into the Lakers’ final home game of the series.
For James it will be an opportunity to get eliminated Stephen Curry and the Warriors, a player (and team) with whom he has competed in NBA Finals matches in the past.
James averages 23.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists on the streak, the Lakers get strong offensive play from Davis and at times from D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Schroder and Lonnie Walker IV.
However, James was pretty quiet for his standards. The Lakers are actually 24 points short of points with James on the court this series.
He has not scored 30 or more points for the Lakers in a playoff game since Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals. However, he had his first game as a pro with 20 points and 20 rebounds in the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies.
When asked what the Lakers need from James in Game 6, Ham had a general opinion.
Lakers forward LeBron James (left) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins during the first half of Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals Wednesday in San Francisco.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“I mean, we need the same from every other player. Just to get locked in,” Ham said. “We’re going to do our bit again, right? We will give them the information they need. We’re going to go back and show them the different ways we can get better. We have to maintain the various things that we have done well. But at the end of the day we have to have the energy, the effort and the urgency – and I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face, until I’m hopefully a hundred and something.
“Energy, effort and urgency. That’s what, at this time of year, at this point in the series, who usually has the most consistent team with those three elements, and becomes the successor.”
James’ top two points of the series came in Games 4 and 5. His teams have never lost a 3-1 lead in the series.
“Every moment is its own challenge and its own game and its own opportunity to see what you’re made of and we can’t build the last series on this series. This series is different. The opponent is different. The challenges [are] “Different,” James said after Game 5. “Friday is another opportunity for us to see where we are, see what we’re made of and go out there with the determination and fight we’ve had since. We got together after the All-Star break. Very resilient team and we respond well to adversity and we look forward to it – to getting the opportunity to play again on Friday.”
While Ham said the coaching staff would consider all options, including line-up changes to try to add more offensive power, they will also look to retain much of what won them three of the first four games of this series – a luxury they will use with Davis.
“We did a great job against all odds,” Ham said. “And so I don’t expect tomorrow to be any different.”
