Anthony Davis, currently navigating a right hip injury, says he'll go all out to deliver the Los Angeles Lakers a Game 6 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Davis — who required “round-the-clock” treatment after taking a hard fall during his 12-point Game 4 on Monday — didn't seem too hampered in Game 5. In fact, AD was a rare bright spot for the otherwise-flat Lakers: 31 points, 14-of-23 shooting, a playoff career-high 19 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 35 minutes.
AD said he'll play the entirety of Game 6 on Friday, if need be, to close out the series. The Lakers may need it, considering their incompetence with Davis off the floor in this series.
“I'll play 48,” AD stated, minutes after Darvin Ham said that he may extend workloads in Game 6. “This is what you prepare the entire season far. … To be able to play extended minutes in the playoffs to get victories. If Coach needs me to play 42, 45, 48, whatever, minutes to get the job done, I'll be ready to do so.”
The most important stretch of Game 5 came with AD sidelined. Ham pulled his star center down by one with 4:10 left in the third. The Grizzlies promptly scored seven straight points, causing Ham to burn a timeout and re-insert Davis. Memphis scored 19 of the final 21 points of the third and turned the game into a blowout.
Davis is averaging 37.9 minutes per game in the playoffs. The Lakers are +55 in 190 minutes with Davis on the floor in this series and -33 in the 55 minutes he's rested.
Ham left most of the Lakers starters, including AD, in the game for most of the fourth quarter despite the Grizzlies' double-digit lead. Both Ham and AD (who did take a scary fall late in the game) said they wanted to make sure a miraculous run wasn't in the cards.
In his pregame press conference, Ham said AD's capabilities aren't limited by the hip issue, although Davis does have to tolerate considerable pain.
“Hip is fine,” Davis said after Game 5. “Felt fine tonight. Just trying to get treatment around the clock to make sure that I'm able to — I don't wanna say ‘able to go', cause I'm gonna play regardless — but, where it's feeling good. Where I'm not in so much pain going out there and moving. So, doing everything I can to make sure I'm available to play and be on the floor to help the team.”
Meanwhile, LeBron James looked gassed less than 48 hours after playing 45 minutes and putting the Lakers on his back in a thrilling overtime win. LeBron (15 points, 5-of-17 FG, 37 minutes) admitted that he played like “s**it” on Wednesday and pledged to be better in Game 6. Ham said he and LeBron tacitly agreed that LeBron was done with 4:40 to go in the fourth.
Ham on pulling LeBron before any other starter w/ 4:40 to go amid a 10-0 Lakers run but w/ Grizzlies up 14:
“He and I made eye-contact and we had a nonverbal discussion. It was time. We’re going to need him big on Friday. So it was time. Simple as that."pic.twitter.com/ahph6W2ghk
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) April 27, 2023
See you on Friday for Game 6.
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