The Los Angeles Lakers headed into their game against the Denver Nuggets after losing four of their last five after a crushing defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics. The third-seeded Nuggets had also won three in a row but the Lakers were only down 65-64 at halftime when disaster struck.
Anthony Davis had suffered a foot injury in the first half that he managed to play through but he would not return to the game in the second half. A loss seemed inevitable after his exit but the Lakers showed a lot of heart and ended up blowing out the Nuggets 126-108 in stunning fashion. LeBron James had a game-high 30 points to go with 9 rebounds but after the game, he credited Thomas Bryant and Max Christie for the win.
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“I loved our effort tonight, game ball goes to Thomas Bryant and also rookie Max Christie coming in and give us gigantic minutes especially in AD’s absence in the second half.”
Thomas Bryant really stepped up after Davis left the game and he finished the night with 21 points and 6 rebounds in 24 minutes. Rookie Max Christie also hit two huge threes back-to-back in the fourth quarter which all but ended the game as a contest. This would have been a great confidence-boosting win for this group and it gives them the belief that they can win games even without Davis.
Can The Lakers Keep This Up Without AD?
It was just one game though and for all the heart they showed here, talent is what wins games in the NBA at the end of the day. Head coach Darvin Ham said after the game that they’ll find out about the extent of Davis’ injury tomorrow and they’ll be hoping it is a minor one.
The Lakers face the Washington Wizards next and they probably can get a win even if AD is out but they have got the Suns and the Kings after that. It is hard to see them winning those without Davis but then again, no one would have given them a chance against Denver before the game if you told them AD wasn’t playing in the second half. This group has played well in recent weeks and has shown they’ll be a difficult outing for anyone at this point.
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