"When it is time for him to turn it on, he's able to do so" Anthony Davis praises LeBron James after LA Lakers' win against Memphis Grizzlies
Anthony Davis scored a game-high 35 points and LeBron James just missed a triple-double as the LA Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-105 at the Staples Center on Friday. Davis spoke fondly of the the 18-year veteran who had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the game.
More importantly, LeBron James led the Lakers attack in the third period that brought them all the way back from a 20-point first-quarter deficit. The LA Lakers were practically buried by the Memphis Grizzlies but James ignited a run in the second half and didn't let up until the fourth quarter.
LeBron James is aware of LA Lakers' need to improve
LeBron James talked about being down and having to come back four straight games in a row to win.
"We gotta figure that out," James said. "In all seriousness, we keep getting down in the first quarter and it does take a little while to get us going but we can't do that versus no team especially the good teams."
Anthony Davis, Frank Vogel and Kyle Kuzma praise LeBron James
Davis gushed when asked about his teammate after the game, per Ryan Ward of Lakers Daily.
"He's special, man. ... When it is time for him to turn it on, he's able to do so."
On the court after the game, Davis was also asked if someone from the Memphis Grizzlies may have said something to get LeBron James fired up in the second half.
"I'm not sure if anybody said anything to him or not," Davis said. "I wasn't aware of it but he finds ways to get going throughout the game."
Rather than figure out what got LeBron James hot in the third quarter, Davis spoke about his teammate's ability to flip the switch on his own.
"He finds ways in the game to get himself going whether it's through playmaking or his shotmaking ability," Davis added. "He used his shotmaking ability tonight."
Even coach Frank Vogel, who is used to seeing James do the amazing things he does on a nightly basis, couldn't help but compliment the LA Lakers stalwart for his performance against the Grizzlies.
LA Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma spoke nonchalantly about LeBron James' performance as if the scoring explosions and big-time plays were just regular occurrences for him.
Anthony Davis gives an update on his condition during the game
In his first game back from resting an Achilles injury the past couple of games, Anthony Davis not only scored 35 points, he also added nine rebounds to help the LA Lakers secure the victory. He talked postgame about how he felt on the floor as the game was progressing.
"Slow start but I was able to just play through it," Davis said. "As the game go on obviously, just constant running and cutting and moving on it (Achilles), it gets pretty sore but I just tried to play through it and continue to play and help my team get the win. But it felt good to get back on the floor with these guys and compete. I'll take care of this Achilles and get ready for Sunday."
With the victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, the LA Lakers now have a seven-game winning streak. They'll have a chance to make it eight in a row against the Denver Nuggets in their next game.
The Purple and Gold have a 21-6 record which is the second-best in the Western Conference and the entire league overall.
Also read: Memphis Grizzlies 105-115 LA Lakers: Twitter erupts as LeBron James puts up another MVP-caliber performance