The Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak with a much-needed win over the Portland Trail Blazers, led by Anthony Davis in the absence of LeBron James. With a rare four-day break in the middle of the NBA regular season, Davis emphasized that the team is focused on using the time to regroup and come back stronger for a showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James was ruled out of the Portland game, as head coach JJ Redick opted to rest the Lakers superstar, leveraging the team’s elimination from the NBA Emirates Cup. The extra days off are a unique opportunity for the Lakers to recharge before facing Minnesota on Friday.
“Yeah. I mean, we have a lot of games and a lot of days, but now we get guys to get four days to kind of recover,” Davis said. “We got guys out, but I was kind of banged up.”
“So you get time to recover, time to practice, and kind of like, I say, reset and get ready for Minnesota, which we owe back in Minnesota,” Davis continued. “But we’re going to use these days to get better, obviously, but also be smart with letting our bodies kind of heal and line up with pride.”
A rare opportunity for rest in Davis’ career
The extra rest comes courtesy of the NBA Emirates Cup, where teams eliminated early enjoy a scheduling advantage. Davis acknowledged the unusual stretch of downtime and the benefits it could bring.
“But I’ve never, I think, had a stretch in my career where we didn’t play for four days,” Davis admitted. “So, that’s kind of new, but I know it’d be beneficial for us to kind of get back in the gym, get some time away from each other, but then get ready to go up to Minnesota and get a win.”
Dalton Knecht shares optimism about the break
Rookie forward Dalton Knecht echoed Davis’ sentiments, pointing out how crucial the rest will be as the team prepares for their road matchup against the Timberwolves.
“I think it will be good having a complete off day tomorrow, that will be great. I love that,” Knecht said. “And then Tuesday is a recovery day and we get back at it Wednesday to get ready to play Minnesota, we go back on the road. So it will be good to get those rest days, for sure.”
The Lakers, currently looking to build momentum after their win over Portland, see the Timberwolves matchup as a critical opportunity to prove their resilience and claim a needed victory in the Western Conference standings.