NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: LAKERS vs WARRIORS

May 4, 2023

Anthony Davis

LeBron James

Media Conference

Warriors 127, Lakers 100

Q. LeBron, after Game 1 you said you were anticipating some differences. What did you find to be the most effective?

LeBRON JAMES: They made their adjustments. We knew they were going to do that. That's what a championship team does. They held serve on their home court tonight.

We got to obviously see the adjustments they made, we got to make our adjustments coming into Game 3.

Q. A.D., Draymond started on you. Played different with the spread offense. How did that impact you?

ANTHONY DAVIS: I don't think so. I mean, I took all the same shots I took in Game 1. I just missed them. Elbow jumpers. Pocket passes to the floater. Same exact looks. Didn't shoot no shot that I didn't shoot in Game 1. Just missed them. That's all.

Like Bron said, made adjustments, shot the ball extremely well from three.

We'll be better. I'll be better making those shots. We'll get back home on our home floor and try to take care of business.

Q. Where did you feel like the game slipped away tonight? Was it the third quarter or before halftime?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, I mean, going into half, up 11, went on a run. Then obviously third quarter, we know they're a big third quarter team. Came out, had 43 in the third, also 41 in the second. Not like us on the defensive end to give up those type of quarters.

So we got to be better defensively. I think going into halftime, made that run, got away from us.

Q. LeBron, you've seen them go on crazy runs in games. What is the key to not letting those build and stack? How do you have to combat that?

LeBRON JAMES: You got to keep scoring, get to the free-throw line as well, or just get points in the paint. They're going to go on runs. That's what they do. But you got to keep scoring, try to hold the fort down.

You give credit where credit is due. They played exceptionally well tonight and we didn't. The series is tied 1-1. That's where we're at.

Q. You've been one of the best defensive teams in the league over the last month plus. Warriors are pretty unique the way they play compared to the rest of the league. What do you think it will take to make your defense shine as much as it has?

LeBRON JAMES: We still are. That doesn't change. We're still the best defensive team in the league, if not one of them. So that doesn't change. That's what we hang our hats on.

But like I said, you give credit where credit is due. Klay was spectacular tonight. Draymond was great in the pocket pass with the rolls, things of that nature. JaMychal gave them big-time. Those 12 minutes felt like 24 minutes, 30 minutes. He was big-time for their team in the starting role tonight, too.

You give credit, like I said where credit is due. We move on to the next game. But our defense, that's where we hang our hat. That doesn't stop no matter who we're playing against.

Q. Did you come out of this all right, how do you feel? Do you feel you contested their three-pointers enough in this game?

LeBRON JAMES: We feel great, and yes, we contested threes.

Q. When they go small, it stretches the defense, gets shooters to the corners. Does that change the way they were able to defend you with their movement? Did you feel they were more active in passing lanes?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, I think they were a little more active in the pocket. They kind of clogged the paint in our pocket passes that were pretty open Game 1. Didn't help that we didn't really shoot the ball well from three.

If we start making those shots, making those threes, be tough for them to pull in to kind of take away those pocket passes, us playing in the paint.

That's all I think it was. They made an emphasis on making sure they tried to find the guys on the perimeter, on the three-point line, clog the paint up a little bit.