Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers got an all-important 107-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Without LeBron James and Austin Reaves, the Lakers broke a poor string of losses with a notch in the win column. Anthony Davis praised the team for handling themselves and stepping up in the absence of LeBron James.
“Next man up. That’s why we have a team. Other guys had to step up. Rui stepped up, and D-Lo stepped up. Guys have to step up when we have a guy like LeBron out.”
“And the guys took on the challenge tonight and even though it was a last-minute scratch, this is what we all prepare for. Some guys got a chance to come in and play more minutes than they normally would. They did what they were supposed to do, did their jobs, and it was a team effort.”
Davis specifically singled out D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura as players who stepped up and played great basketball to help the Los Angeles Lakers earn the win.
“We just stayed committed to what we were doing… We stayed together and were able to combat their run with our own. D-Lo got hot, and Rui played phenomenally. We were able to get back to Lakers basketball and get the win.”
Anthony Davis was the leader for the Los Angeles Lakers last night, putting up 30 points (10-21 FG), 11 rebounds, one assist, two steals and five blocks. He was absolutely sensational on both ends of the court.
D’Angelo Russell came off the bench to deliver a thunderous performance. He had 28 points (9-17 FG), 14 assists, five rebounds, and one steal. And Rui Hachimura made some big shots last night, delivering 23 points (9-13 FG), five rebounds, two assists, four steals, and one block.
Rui Hachimura Was Asked To Step Up
Rui Hachimura also spoke after the Lakers’ win. He noted that the Lakers’ coaching staff came to him after LeBron James’ injury and asked him to step up and play a bigger role. And he did just that, wanting to make sure that the Lakers were able to get a much-needed win. On top of that, he noted what the Lakers needed to do in order to get back to their best.
“LeBron was out. We found out LeBron was out. The coaches told me I had to step up tonight. I was trying to be aggressive. We were sharing the ball and playing good defense. And that’s how we got this W… I want to win here…”
“We need rest but we also have to reset. We have to practice more and reconnect. We had our first 10 games and those were pretty good. We have to get back to what we used to have. We’re not that far. We just need to reset and we’ll be fine… That was the craziest stretch of our season.”
This season, Hachimura has averaged 12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, while shooting 50.0% from the field, 46.3% from the three-point line, and 85.3% from the free-throw line.
Hachimura has proven to be a valuable piece for the Los Angeles Lakers. This is why it was surprising that the Lakers reportedly will use him as a trade piece should an attractive deal come their way.
But for the time being, Hachimura is one of the key players on the Lakers and will need to play elite basketball to help them turn their form around.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
