AD reassures Ham, channels Packers in L.A. win

LOS ANGELES -- Feeling the unit of a 2-10 commencement to his tenure arsenic manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, Darvin Ham received immoderate words of reassurance from All-Star large antheral Anthony Davis heading into Sunday's crippled against the Brooklyn Nets.

"Had a existent bully speech with [Davis] aft our past game, our past loss," Ham said pursuing the Lakers' 116-103 win implicit the Nets that snapped a five-game losing streak. "And helium conscionable said, 'I got your back, Coach.' And that was immense for maine being a first-time caput manager and having a subordinate of that magnitude conscionable perpetually effort and bash everything you inquire him to do."

Davis had Ham's backmost and helium had Brooklyn's number, filling up the stat expanse with play highs successful some points (37) and rebounds (18).

Davis, who was already enjoying a bounce-back play aft missing much than fractional of the Lakers' games implicit the past 2 seasons due to the fact that of injuries, had gone missing successful the 2nd fractional during respective caller losses.

Before the game, Ham said it was connected Davis to remedy the deficiency of touches connected his own. "Just him demanding the ball," Ham said. "It starts with that."

It really started earlier the crippled for Davis. An avid Green Bay Packers fan, Davis said helium was motivated by seeing Green Bay upset the Dallas Cowboys.

"I was watching the Packers crippled earlier ... and Aaron Rodgers threw a slant to Allen Lazard, helium ran for similar 40 yards. And helium started [screaming] and flexing and each that and it got maine immoderate information earlier the game," Davis said. "Just trying to dominate. Be dominant. Knowing that we had to get this win, knowing that a batch of guys -- particularly with [LeBron James] retired -- a batch of guys thin connected maine to effort to get the occupation done."

Davis went 15-for-25 from the tract and 7-for-7 from the escaped propulsion line, with 23 of his attempts coming wrong the paint.

"I was trying to get to the overgarment and people inside, knowing that they had constricted changeable blocking," Davis said. "When you acceptable the screen, our guards onslaught downhill, onslaught [Nic] Claxton oregon [Markieff] Morris and conscionable enactment it connected the rim. They miss, past I person a defender connected maine truthful I person a accidental for an accidental for an violative rebound and get a people there."

Davis had much violative rebounds individually (10) than the Nets had arsenic a squad (eight).

"AD played similar a monster tonight," said Patrick Beverley. "And everyone played disconnected of him."

The Lakers anticipation to person everyone disposable for the archetypal clip each play successful their adjacent crippled against the Detroit Pistons astatine location connected Friday.

James has missed the past 2 games with a near groin strain and Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant person yet to marque their play debut portion they some retrieve from thumb surgery.

By virtuousness of a scheduling quirk, the Lakers volition get 4 days disconnected this week without a crippled to rest, rehab and hole for the Pistons.

"We wanted to triumph contiguous for sure. Let america consciousness bully going into this disconnected week earlier Friday's game," Davis said. "It gives a accidental for guys to benignant of get distant from the crippled for a mates days and reset and travel backmost with a mentality that we got to tally disconnected immoderate [wins] successful a row."