LeBron James and Anthony Davis sound off as LA Lakers set up play-in tournament date with Golden State Warriors
LA Lakers forwards LeBron James and Anthony Davis sounded confident when discussing their upcoming play-in tournament match against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
During the Lakers’ postgame interviews, the two stars were asked questions about the play-in tournament and playoffs.
"I look forward to the challenge,” James said in his interview. “It's another challenge in the postseason and I'm looking forward to it."
"We feel good,” Davis said. “We feel confident about our team."
The LA Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 110-98 on Sunday to finish the season with a 42-30 record and claim the No. 7 seed in the West. The Lakers have the same record as the Portland Trail Blazers, but the latter owns the tie-breaker.
The Trail Blazers took care of business on their end by defeating the Denver Nuggets to become the No. 6 seed and advance to the first round of the playoffs automatically.
LA Lakers coach Frank Vogel and superstar duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis also spoke about their thoughts on Stephen Curry, who they will have to contain the most in order to advance to the playoffs.
“The MVP of our league this year," James said about Curry.
"He create problems for every team. ... It's a challenge for everyone. ... He's the head of the snake," Davis explained.
Steph Curry won the league’s scoring title for the second time in his career with a 31.8 points-per-game average.
Against the Memphis Grizzlies, he scored 46 points to secure the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference and set up the clash between the LA Lakers and his Golden State Warriors team.
LeBron James status for the LA Lakers matchup against Golden State Warriors
It’s no secret that LeBron James’ health is a major concern for the LA Lakers heading into the play-in tournament. However, the four-time MVP looked as spry as ever in the two games he played at the end of the regular season.
LeBron James had 24 points on 11-of-22 shooting versus the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The LA Lakers forward also had a sensational game against the New Orleans Pelicans, with 25 points and six assists in 27 minutes of playing time.
When asked about a potential ankle issue that he picked up during Sunday’s game, LeBron James said:
"It was a tweak. I stepped on (Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s) foot after that last layup ... but I'll be fine."
Vogel also didn't sound worried about LeBron James' health:
While the winner of the LA Lakers-Golden State Warriors game on Thursday will go into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed, the loser will face the winner of the Memphis Grizzlies-San Antonio Spurs match to earn the No. 8 seed.
The No. 7 seed will face the Phoenix Suns in a best-of-7 matchup, while the No. 8 seed will battle the Utah Jazz in another best-of-7 series.
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