Darvin Ham emphasizes LA Lakers' strengths lie in playing physical basketball: "Seventy points in the paint; That’s who we are"
LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had nothing but praise for his team after their spectacular effort saw LA through to a win in Sacramento. With the Lakers following through on their schemes, Ham emphasized their strength and identity as a physical and tough team.
The Purple and Gold notched a tremendous victory on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings. With the game coming down to the wire, the Lakers walked away with a 136-134 win on the back of two clutch free-throws by Dennis Schroder.
While the win itself had a lot of significance, the Lakers' head coach had a more valuable takeaway from the game. In a brutal back-and-forth match against the Kings, the Purple and Gold dominated on the inside with 70 points notched within the paint.
Taking on the team's identity as a tough and physical unit, Ham emphasized that scoring in the paint is one of the Lakers' strengths. He highlighted this after the game. When asked about the performance, he said:
"We just didn't want to settle. Hit rollers, hit guys, get as many points in the paint as possible. Put pressure on them, guard the rim or foul."
"I thought we did an excellent job. Seventy points in the paint. That's who we are. We want to play fast, physical and free, with force. That was actually a representation of our physicality."
"At the end of the day, 33 free-throw attempts as well. But guys are not settling, they're attacking. Staying in constant attack mode."
"Seventy points in the paint. That’s who we are. We want to play fast, physical and free, with force." Darvin Ham on the team shooting 61% tonight. https://t.co/cZdBvilM9M
The Lakers' performance against the Kings was beyond impressive. With consistent aggression resulting in a win, the Purple and Gold may have found a winning formula.
While also considering that the LA Lakers have extended their winning streak to five games, the team is certainly doing something impressive to start the new year.
The LA Lakers appear to be on a roll
The LA Lakers have enjoyed quite a bit of success recently. During the post-game press conference, coach Darvin Ham mentioned how important the entire process has been for the Lakers.
Highlighting how the team would have lost a similar game had it been a few months ago, it is evident how far the team has come. Especially in light of the adversities they have faced.
With Anthony Davis still out of the rotation, the Purple and Gold saw the absence of several important pieces on their roster. However, the team rallied together to notch wins regardless.
Read: LeBron James puts the onus on himself to score in Anthony Davis' absence
LeBron James and Russell Westbrook rose to the occasion as the remaining superstars in the lineup. However, the Lakers' supporting cast has been particularly impressive as of late.
Thomas Bryant has emerged as an unlikely hero for the team in Davis' absence. Notching 29 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday night, Bryant wreaked havoc on the Kings' interior defense.
With the Lakers living up to their identity as a physical team, the Purple and Gold managed to notch a huge win on the road. Featuring one of the longest active winning streaks in the NBA, the LA Lakers will hope to build upon it in their next game against the Denver Nuggets.
Read: NBA analyst confident about LA Lakers’ playoff hopes if Anthony Davis returns by February