MEMPHIS — Returning to the place where the Los Angeles Lakers defied the odds last spring to start their playoff run — upsetting the No. 2 seed Grizzlies in the first round as the No. 7 seed — Anthony Davis says he loves his team. Team chances again.
Davis has missed most of the Lakers' past two games — losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors — after suffering a blow to the face in the first quarter against Minnesota and dealing with headaches and nausea. But he said he feels “extraordinary” and shares an cheerful outlook for the Lakers, who sit in 10th place in the Western Conference with two games remaining in the regular season.
“I think we're in a great place,” Davis said after Friday morning's shootout before the Grizzlies game. “The two games we lost, I played one quarter and then LeBron [James] Didn't play one. So there is nothing we can do about it now. Our job is to focus on these next two games – tonight's game and then Sunday against New Orleans – and then see what happens, and where we stand after that. Then go win basketball games.
“At the end of the day, no matter where you are in the standings, you still have to win. For us, it's about taking it one game at a time. Whether that's 10th, ninth, eighth, no matter where you're at.” . “she. You can be the No. 1 seed and still have to win basketball games. So that's our mentality. “No matter where we are, we just have to win.”
Davis is listed as a possible starter for the Grizzlies game but plans to play, sources told ESPN. The Lakers big man arrived at the arena on Tuesday intending to play against the Warriors but came down with a headache and a wave of nausea, causing him to vomit and need to go home. Sources said he continued to rest on Wednesday and started feeling better on Thursday.
The Lakers won 45-35, tied with the No. 8 Sacramento Kings and No. 9 Warriors, but both teams have a tiebreaker over Los Angeles based on their head-to-head matchups.
The Lakers won 2-1 over the Grizzlies and 2-1 over the Pelicans.
The Kings host the No. 7 Phoenix Suns on Friday and tip off at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. The Warriors host the Pelicans on Friday and tip off at home against the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
Lakers guard Austin Reeves said he spent Thursday night watching the Pelicans vs. Kings game aware of the seeding swing that the back end of the West's playoff race was involved in each night.
“We just have to control what we can and hope that everything turns out in our favor,” Reeves said.
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