The Los Angeles Lakers lost their first five games of the season. So there weren’t any real expectations from the team against their most recent matchup against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers finally won their first game of the season in a great battle against the Nuggets.
In a 121-110 win, Anthony Davis played a crucial role. The 29-year-old recorded 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 assists against the Nuggets. Following the win, AD talked about the value of this win and how it has helped the Lakers finally get going this season.
Davis finally had a dominant game against the Nuggets and he did so while struggling from a back injury.
Darvin Ham Talks About Anthony Davis After Winning Against The Nuggets
Throughout the game, fans could see that Davis was in some discomfort. He was constantly suffering pain from a back injury. But instead of getting subbed out, AD decided to play through it and help the Purple and Gold win the game.
Following this great attitude shown by Davis, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had nothing but praise for him. He believes AD’s presence on the court had a huge impact on the team.
Ham on AD gutting through his back soreness: "Huge impact. The way he fought through that … he said 'Hell no, I got you'" (re: coming out).
"I want him to be the AD we all know he can be. He showed it tonight. Tenaciousness on defense, timely shot making, (determination)."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 31, 2022
“Huge impact. The way he fought through that … he said ‘Hell no, I got you.’ I want him to be the AD we all know he can be. He showed it tonight. Tenaciousness on defense, timely shot making, (determination).”
After winning the first game of the season, Ham revealed that he was extremely proud of his team. It’s good to see that he has developed an instant connection with the players, but the Lakers are still 1-5 this season. The next step for the team is to build on this momentum and win more games. They need more wins to actually gain trust of the fanbase. Otherwise, most will write off this win as just a fluke.