LeBron James x Anthony Davis React To Lakers Game 1 vs Nuggets | May 16, 2023

AD, just wondered the shift that you guys had once Rui was in that lineup and then you were playing off-ball on Yokocho. How much you thought that gave you a sign that this was something you guys could use in the series and which part of that was worth a comeback? Someday we just went to a little adjustment. Different adjustments throughout the course of the game. We did end up liking it, stayed with it for a while. Maybe something we go to game two. We'll have to go back and look at the film. I'm just thinking about it right now. Something that we like. Just to also have me roaming and things like that. Good adjustment, but like I said, we'll go back and figure out a way we can be better. In the Broncos, what did you notice about the way Denver hit first? What was the key on the glass and Yokocho and everything? How did you guys find a way to adjust over the course of the game? It took us a half the end of the game. That was pretty much the ball game right there. We got to understand that we got to start from the tip off. They punched us in the mouth to start. I think they had more offensive rebounds than we had total rebounds in the first half. That led to them getting second chance points. They also got on the fast break and killed us on the fast break in the first half. It was 10 for 10 from the free throw line. I know the game is won in 48 minutes, but they set the tone in 24 minutes. We was playing catch up for the next 24. What about having to do so many of these for the next game versus it staying out of reach? In the postseason, it doesn't matter if you cut it to one or you're down 20. If you lose, you lose. They're a 1-0. We have to come back with desperation going into game two. We have to play better. We have to rebound better. I thought we did a good job of not turning the ball over. That's one thing we've been very conscious about in the postseason. We've been better in transition tonight. We wasn't that great in the first half. We cleaned it up in the second half. We need to be better at all facets of the game. Did they give 60 to 48? No, just reading the game. It's always a game between the game and just reading the game and making the proper reads. They started to go to a 3-4-5 switch and pick and rolls. Anytime I was involved with A.D., they started to switch droke on to me and trying to keep a body on body because A.D. was doing a great job of getting into that pocket and doing what he does best with his floaters and things of that nature. We have opportunities, and we know we can go to other things that also can work for us with myself handling the ball with Garth, pick and roll, trying to get the good matchup, see how they're going to play, if they're going to switch or if they're going to hard show or whatever the case may be. We just try to exploit that and allow A.R. to get going in the fourth. A.D., you were very complimentary of Jokic before this game. A.D., could you describe how he played in particular? What did you say to him when he made that crazy shot right before the half? He's a two-time MVP. He's very skilled. Obviously, that's his number to show. Made some tough shots. We just try to make it tough for him, switching up matchups and schemes on him. He's been playing well through the entire season and especially in this playoff. You tip your hat to him. That shot, I just looked at him and just smiled. There's nothing else I could have done. He's 40 feet away from the basket. One dribble kind of throws it up and it goes in. It was definitely one of them nights, but we encouraged about the second half of the game and things we can get better at and make some adjustments once again. You guys found stuff after the first half, but how much of it do you think was the size on the court to start the game? You guys did go small. They're a pretty big team. At one point, they had nine offensive rebounds on their first 11 misses in the game. How much of a factor do you think that was? Some of them was effort play. Some of them was just out of reach. We had a couple opportunities to get early defensive rebounds. We wasn't able to do that. One of them was a block out by me. A joker coming down the middle was one of his offensive rebounds. I think some of them was effort. Some of them is about size, but I think for the majority, some of them wasn't the first half. We wasn't just locked in. We wasn't in tune. He had six offensive rebounds in the first quarter. He had six offensive rebounds for the game. That just lets you know we started to get more and more in tune with what we need to do, how we need to block out, how we need to hit bodies and things of that nature. I think we got better as the game went on. Austin and Rui said they felt that there was a lack of energy and especially a lack of effort in the first half. Do you agree with that? How do you explain a lack of effort in Game 1 of the Western Conference? We'll be better. We know we didn't play up to our capabilities in that first half. I even thought in the third quarter when they were making shots, we were going back and forth from making shots. I thought we was still in tune. They were just making some shots with hands on their faces, bodies on bodies. But we'll be better in Game 2. That's for sure. LeBron, obviously there's a lot to be made about Jokic tonight and his performance. But what about A.D.'s offensive game? It was impressive to you. Do you feel like he was able to keep you guys within that striking distance in the first three quarters there to make that fourth-quarter comeback? A.D. was phenomenal, 40-10. Changed shots at the rim. But A.D.'s been great all postseason, so we're not worried about that. So we just have to do our job as well, myself and Chippenny and everybody down the ladder from there. It's nothing that surprises about A.D.'s performance. We've got to do a great job of just backing him up, not only on the offensive end to relieve pressure off of him, but also on the defensive end as well. When he's changing shots, we have to clean glass, we have to help, we have to make our rotations clean. That allows us to do what we need to do offensively. Appreciate it.