Darvin Ham‘s defense on Jordan Poole helped the Los Angeles Lakers win Game 1 of their series against the Golden State Warriors.

With 9.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Poole shot a 3-pointer that could have tied the game at 115 apiece. Ham put his right hand near his mouth and yelled something as Poole missed.

Poole missed the shot, and Dennis Schroder snagged the rebound before making two free throws to secure the Lakers' 117-112 victory.

Ham said after the game he was addressing his players in the moment rather than Poole.

“I'm not one of those coaches that tries to contest shots from the sideline,” Ham said. “I probably was telling my players to contest, hurry up, get out on him, press up. But I've seen a lot. I've seen a lot of coaches in those situations that cross the line, but that's not me man.”

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The Lakers withstood a 14-0 Golden State run over a 4:40 span late in the fourth that tied the game at 112. Ham commended his team's poise during that rough stretch of action.

“Just being solid, remaining solid, staying organized offensively,” Ham said. “Not getting disappointed or discouraged defensively. The biggest thing again, us having a ‘next-play' mentality, giving multiple efforts.”

The Lakers needed all the defense they could get against the Warriors, who are the defending champions after winning the 2022 NBA Finals

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson led the Warriors in Game 1 with 27 and 25 points, respectively. Golden State shot just 40.6 percent from the field, though, which is a testament to the Lakers' defense.

“They're a tough, tough ball club,” Ham said. “Anytime you got Poole, Thompson, and Curry seeing shots go in, it's a nightmare. Just not getting discouraged, not getting disappointed but all the while, remaining forceful on our offensive end.”

Darvin Ham's Lakers may be the seven seed seed in the Western Conference, but they have looked like championship contenders with their defense and star power led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Game 2 between the Lakers and Warriors is Thursday night at 6 p.m.