After losing four of their first five road games of the season, the Lakers were encouraged by their performance on Friday in San Antonio, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Anthony Davis scored 40 points and LeBron James set a personal record with his fourth consecutive triple-double as L.A. pulled out a five-point victory over the Spurs.
“That’s what we want to do,” Davis said. “We want to be just as good of a road team as we are a home team. And we can’t do that if we don’t come out and compete. We’ve been just a different team when we’ve been out on the road. The way we compete, share the ball, play together at home, is totally different than when we get on the other side on the road. So we did that tonight.”
As Woike writes, the play of reserve wing Max Christie was another positive sign for the Lakers. After falling out of the rotation as of late, Christie logged a season-high 30 minutes on Friday with Rui Hachimura out due to a sprained right ankle and was a plus-23 in those minutes, contributing 11 points, three rebounds, and a pair of steals. the 21-year-old said it helped to know that head coach J.J. Redick still had faith in him.
“He has a lot of belief in a lot of us and I think he definitely has a lot of belief in me and I can appreciate that coming from a head coach,” Christie said. “I know you know how I can play and I think tonight was a very good example of that, when I’m just out there playing free, playing the way I know I can play instead of just trying to over-complicate things.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Draymond Green‘s foul on Zach Edey in the third quarter of the Warriors‘ win over the Grizzlies on Friday has been upgraded to a flagrant 1, the league announced today (via Twitter). As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the Grizzlies were upset that the foul wasn’t reviewed at the time after Green appeared to pin Edey’s lower leg to his body using his elbow and forearm, causing the big man to trip (video link). “It definitely wasn’t a basketball play,” Edey said.
- Lindy Waters earned his second start of the season for the Warriors on Friday night, but left the game late in the first half and didn’t return after hyperextending his left knee while blocking a shot (video link). Brandin Podziemski started the second half in Waters’ place, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Kings guard De’Aaron Fox blew past his previous career high of 44 points by pouring in a franchise-high 60 in a loss to Minnesota on Friday. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee has the story, including quotes from Fox, his teammates, and head coach Mike Brown. “He’s an All-Star and the sky is the limit for him,” Brown said. “He knew we needed help. He put us on his back, and he almost carried us to the finish line, but he did everything in his power to get us there.”
- The Kings will be missing a pair of stars on Saturday vs. Utah, as both Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan have been ruled out due to lower back tightness (Twitter link via Anderson). It’s DeRozan’s second consecutive missed game.
So are they giving JJ a flagrant for pushing Green to the ground on the play? Replay showed that Green was pushed on the side which caused him to fall. What about the flagrant they missed on Curry’s 3 when the Grizzly player landed into Curry’s space and knocked him down? Kerr should complain about that and ask for the same ruling.
It is simply hilarious that in a game that may have been the worst I have seen outside FIBA by the refs. A game so bad that Kerr went and individually cussed out each ref after the game. The one thing they own up to is missing a foul that starts with Edey running into a seated Green, like whys your leg on his back and side for him to pin bro, when they should have publicly owned how trash they were. Like Kerr passes on challenging another call on the one after because he wants to save the challenge but it was such a blatant defensive charge. The like 3 times the Warriors got elbowed in the face on euros that didnt get called. Those refs should all be fired I dont care how good they sound when announcing reviews!
Oh and I love how the Ws always get a F ing road whistle at home for this year and last……….
What bothers me is the NBA doing this after the game is over. Why no word on about the other missed calls?? Why no flagrant on the Grizzly player?
The game going from a 21 point lead to a 5 point lead in the final 5 mins that was basically all made up by free throws…those refs are clearly corrupt and were trying to hit that under smh
Funny, all the so-called Warrior fans were upset saying that Moody has to start over Podz, who is somehow stealing minutes from Moses, in place of Melton. So what does Kerr do, he starts Waters. You guys forgot that Kerr likes his depth. His lineups are going to be based on what players work the best together and game situations. Obviously, it is not based on some weird-a$$ whim that Davey J dreamed up. I don’t understand where he comes up with some his stuff.
Watching Fox score 60 points just to lose another nail biter is beyond frustrating. I will not stop talking about needing Keon on the floor more often than Huerter. Kevin looks bad. Keegan looks bad. Len and Lyles look rough. It’s shameful.
The plan this season was always offense > defense. And that plan would be working if anyone on this team could hit a three point shot consistently.
that explains why you hate the warriors so much you cheer for the team that never won anything
Nelson didn’t care much for the defensive side of the game. Kerr does. The results are obvious.
True. Nelson was always good on offense but never pushed defense which is why they never won a championship under him.
Arc you are so sour lmao. My comment had nothing to do with your Warriors in the slightest. And you’ve also known Im a Kings fan for a while. You want my attention so bad ahahah.
Guess thats what I get for ignoring the peanut gallery for a week.
Nope just now I know why you hate the warriors so much. Having to know the warriors rule all of Northern California.
Buddy Ive been a Kings fan well before anyone cared about the Warriors. I’ve made it very clear that the reason I dont like the Warriors is their fanbase who likes to act like the NBA started in 2015. All of you (minus Gary) are insufferable. Everyone on HoopsRumors sees how you dorks get fed the same lineup story everyday and need to have a group stroke session in the comments to validate your opinions. And if anyone dare disagree with you they are labeled as idiots and trolls.
Sorry about the 5th btw
come on bonercat you brought that on yourself by talking smack about the warriors. So cry me a river about how its unfair that somebody talks back to you. the jealousy fans like you knowing the warriors continue to be good all these years. Don’t forget you said they would be a lottery team and never be good again. Shows how little you know.
Lmao its November man. Keep that same energy
I went to my 1st Warriors game when the Kings played in Omaha. That’s a miserable place to be in January. I only come to their sites for transactions. The made up trades are usually pretty dumb. And, I never talk smack about another team, unless the they are being an a$$.
If you think that was always that way you’re crazy.
@arc
Are you a child? I used to watch every warriors game in the late 90’s- early 2000’s until I moved out of the bay area, and they were awful. The kings were great at that time, they didn’t win a chip cause a certain ref robbed it from them. Grow up
@tiger yes I do remember when the Refs took a win away from the Kings who would have won. I went through the horrible years the warriors was ran into the ground by a terrible owner. Bobcat comes here and talks a lot of smack about the warriors even claiming this year they would be a lottery team. So if he wants to dish it out on warriors then he gets it dished back to him. Warriors own Northern California and that is just a fact right now.
The Warriors went for a decade emphasizing offense over defense. That was a decade of being also-rans. Now that emphasizes defense, they win Finals.
It’s time for a New GM. McNair is a Total Joke !!
McNair can’t make the buckets go in. 4 out of 6 losses are by 4 or fewer points. I encourage you to look at the shooting numbers in those games.
True, but we have ZERO backup SF; and Basically ZERO backup Center (Len ain’t it); You have Brown playing SG or PG at the SF position for backups, trying to match up against 6″8″ SF. Doesn’t work. Sabonis is playing too many minutes and now he starting to break down. McNair is responsible to get the best players he can for brown to coach. Last Offseason what did he do ?? Get DeRozen and that was basically it. He knows what our needs are and refuses to fill the Holes !! Look at all the Playoff teams and who ever becomes Champions, and NOT one of them are under the Salary cap. but yet we want to play below the salary cap !! Therefore, my opinion, this city will NEVER see a championship, period !!
Not a basketball player by Draymond. I saw the replay. He makes zero effort to get out of the way. Bro is a ticking time bomb waiting to happen after post NBA career.
I meant play.
The guy is behind him hows he supposed to get out of the way on his @ss on the floor where he was because he was pushed in the back…. SMH
Draymond looked up and saw Edey as he fell to the ground. He turned around and stuck his leg out knowing he’d trip Edey. He’s always liked to to pick on big big guys that could whoop him but that he knows won’t retaliate be it Adams, LeBron, Sabonis, Gobert and now Edey. It’s like he’s got a complex or something. One of these times he’s gonna pick on the wrong big guy and they’re gonna clobber him.
So what about JJ pushing Green in the back to knock him to the ground? So is that a BB play pushing you opponent in the back?
What about it? It’s a separate incident that Edey had nothing to do with.
It’s why Green was on the ground. My point being if the league gives out late calls after the game they should call out the flagrant on Curry that wasn’t called.
Still has nothing to do with Draymond tripping Edey.
It has to do with NBA making up calls after the game. Why call out one play when there was many?
Tacocat , that’s an interesting insight.
Also, it seems that Draymond cannot let any altercation, no master how brief, end without having the upper hand. Notice that his arm swings always come on the release from entanglement — last week with Dort, last season with Nurkic, etc. And notice how he will always engage on exit from an incident — grabbing EEdey in his way out, stepping on Sabonis’ chest after their collision. He’s got to be the winner.
Games of 10+ FT ATT, career:
S Curry: 63 across 16 seasons
S Gilegeous-Alexander: 97 across 7 seasons
Not. The. Same. Tier. Not. The. Same. Planet.
Draymond is just ridiculous and he’s hurting the team.
How do you get thrown out while the team is imploding from within at the end of an important game? How do you leave your team hanging like that and go to the locker room?
He said he was going to keep his technicals under 10 this year. Well that’s what, at least four already. We’ve got 65 games to go LOL
This just goes on year after year and that’s why I said they should let him walk instead of re-signing him 2 years ago. But I know that they sort of need the guy and what he brings to the basketball floor is stuff no other guy can do.
Big man defense, run the offense, find Curry in special ways that only 13 years of familiarity can do. Stuff like that, but wow I am “up to here” with having it “up to here” with Draymond Green !!
How many more years on his deal? Two after this? They better win to make this worthwhile because it’s aggravating. Then his very disrespectful mouth is just such a disappointment. Too much. Just too much.
People have been saying that for 10 years almost. It is completely ridiculous at this point.
BleedGreen, agreed. Some have lost all credibility in the process. It’s the proverbial elephant in the living room (which, by definition, most will deny exists).
But, although GSW declines to hold Draymond accountable, the situation with violent infractions is different now for one reason: the league won’t tolerate Draymond’s NEXT violent offense.
An offense on the level of the Gobert choke would likely end Draymond’s season. Something like the Nurkic blow to the head will likely cost him months. Either way, GSW’s season would be in jeopardy.
Whatever it takes to win, Gary. All dynasties have an enforcer. Draymond is to GSW that Rodman was to the Bulls, Laimbeer/Mahorn to the Pistons, etc. All great teams have an infuriating player that even their own fanbase is critical of. I hope Dray sticks around and re-ups his deal, his IQ is still better than everyone’s, he just needs to knock off the violence.
Yes but there’s been a few times when he’s been thrown out of the game and it’s been at a bad time. He cannot let emotions get the best of him and the team suffers. That’s just not smart.
You got it, Gary. And the stakes are higher than getting ejected. The Gobert and Nurkic incidents linger. When agitated, Draymond acts out physically. This time, a suspension could be so severe as to destroy our season.
The league is watching closely. In the OKC game, he got an unsportsmanlike tech for his “signature”swinging of his arm at Dort’s head. A few day later, the league upgrades his trip of Eedy to a flagrant.
Draymond is on the edge.
The issue I have with Draymond’s clear flagrant on Edey is that it wasn’t just a trip, he clamped Edey’s ankle in place with his body. It’s not like he reached out and tripped him or kicked his leg or something, which is already bad. Grabbing somebody’s ankle like that can cause an ACL tear, or worse. And you can see in the replay that it was 100% deliberate how he chose to grab Edey’s ankle. That’s not just dangerous, it’s clearly malicious.
If he’d just tripped him or lashed out, I’d be willing to give him more leeway. That’s understandable, if still wrong, if you get fouled and think the refs missed it (which they didn’t; Draymond got barely tapped on the arm as JJJ was turning around, not pushed in the back like some people in this comment section are claiming). But an ankle clamp? No shot that was anything other than malice aforethought.
Also, if there’s any foul for GSW fans to get mad about, it’s Vince Williams’ very clear elbow on TJD. That should also have been a flagrant at minimum.
Eon, if I ever had the privilege of having a conversation with Mr. Green, I would flat out ask him, (and sorry about the f-bomb,) but “WTF are you doing !!!?” It takes a lot to get an F-bomb out of me, but this is getting absolutely BEYOND RIDICULOUS. Seriously.
Green can make all these promises before the season starts but it’s all hogwash.
Now I understand the NBA and professional sports in general is often about what you can get away with. All kinds of illegal crap goes on but the question is, who gets caught?
So Draymond takes that way past any reasonable level, and as I said above it hurts the team.
He can say he’s the enforcer but there’s a difference between being an enforcer and being dirty. No one likes dirty.
The game was officiated poorly. Memphis is a “violent” and they commit “violent” fouls. Go back to 22 playoffs. It was a difficult game to officiate BUT this crew, except for Kennedy, was not a strong crew for this kind of game. Look, this “corrupt” comment is BS. They’re not cheaters BUT a better crew calls this game right. GSW had their bad fouls too BUT a stronger crew controls this game better. Draymond deserved T2 by saying “f*** you” to either an opponent or a ref. Again,weak crew overall, how gsw had more fouls is inexplicable. Grizzlies are harkening back to the Dawkins Lambeer Mahorn days.
Claude , I agree with you that Memphis is coaching up “violent” fouls. The refs should call the game closely, but they can’t stop it because Taylor Jenkins is so committed to mucking up every game that the Grizz can’t win on talent. He’s more than happy to give the opponent more trips to the line if he can get them flustered.
To handle Memphis, we must keep our composure. Draymond won’t accept that. Buddy Hield and Podz also allowed themselves to get agitated down the stretch. That’s how you lose to inferior talent.
Good points Ari. Jenkins is bad for NBA.