NBA FINALS: LAKERS VS. HEAT

October 4, 2020

Anthony Davis

Los Angeles Lakers

Game 3: Postgame

Miami Heat - 115, Los Angeles Lakers - 104.

Q. LeBron said he felt like the early foul trouble impacted the way you were able to play and potentially how aggressive you could be. What do you think that impact had for you and how did you analyze the way the game went overall for you?

ANTHONY DAVIS: It had an impact. Picked up two early, come in and get the third. So it takes away the aggressiveness on both ends of the floor that I'm used to playing with, and those guys like to take charges or whatever, and you know, try to draw offensive fouls. It took away the aggressiveness a little bit. Still got to be better and still got to find ways to affect the game on both ends of the floor, but it definitely took me out and put a little bit too much pressure on the other guys.

Q. What do you see from an execution standpoint on offense?

ANTHONY DAVIS: You know, the turnovers, I had four. Offensive fouls, you know, missed communication on some passes, but just have to be better overall.

We'll be fine. We made shots. We didn't defend at all tonight. They made big shots. Made some good plays. Trust me, we'll be fine.

Q. When you say you guys didn’t defend tonight, why do you think that was?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Just wasn't talking on the defensive end. Our schemes were set up for certain situations and we didn't execute them. We were getting confused on a lot of things. They had wide open looks that they missed early and made late from three. We let Jimmy get into a strong hand too many times, getting to the basket, getting and-ones or getting to the free throw line. We were letting guys get to the rim easily with no contact. Our low-man help wasn't there tonight.

We had too many communication plays, and I think just carryover from the first two games. First two games, late in the game, we had a good lead, even though it didn't hurt us, we didn't play well defensively late game. So we didn't do that all -- we didn't do well at all tonight on the defensive end and they made us pay.

Q. So much of this run for your team has been coinciding with your personal journey -- your first Conference Finals, first Finals, first Finals win, first Finals loss. How are you internalizing it and how do you expect the next 48 hours to go leading up to Game 4?

ANTHONY DAVIS: I'll be fine. I just have to be better, like I said, both ends of the floor. Foul trouble, bringing the energy to the team -- the team relies on me bringing the energy to start the game and when you pick up two fouls, guys come in earlier, things like that. So I just have to be better.

But it's one loss. We're still up in the series. You know, like I said, we never want to get too high and we don't want to get too low. But we'll look at the film, and see where I can be better on both ends, see where we can be better as a team, come out Game 4 much better than we played tonight.

Q. Kyle mentioned the slipped screens and obviously Olynyk had a huge game. What's your responsibility in that and what can be done to make that less effective against you guys with the way that they used Kelly tonight?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Communication. Just talking. We know he rarely sets screens. We just have to talk to the guy on the ball and let him know what's going on, so there's no miscommunication and let either the guy who is handling or the guy who is setting the screen, which is Kelly, get open shots. We just got to talk, and communication solves every problem.

Then having our help being ready to rotate, if it is miscommunication on the ball. So we were bad in all aspects on the defensive end tonight, but we'll be better in Game 4.

Q. In Game 2, you guys had 56 points in the paint and tonight you guys only had 34. What did the Heat do to limit the effectiveness inside the interior tonight?

ANTHONY DAVIS: We missed a lot of shots at the rim, honestly. You know, once again, we had shots open in the perimeter and when we make our shots from the perimeter, it opens up the paint for us. Tonight we didn't do a good job of that. So just kind of plays hand in hand. When they are giving us a lot of looks, our shooters got to be ready, take their time and just knock down the shots and open up the paint for everybody else.

But tonight, we didn't shoot the ball extremely well, and then also get to the paint, you know, missed layups, and these guys got out and ran on the break and made us pay for it. We've got to take our time, finish in the paint, as well as being ready to shoot the ball when the ball get passed to us on the perimeter.