The Los Angeles Lakers kept their composure and managed to hold on to beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 1. And a lot of that had to do with Anthony Davis' impressive performance on both ends of the floor.
The former New Orleans Pelicans star dominated with 30 points, 23 rebounds, and five blocks on nearly 60% from the floor. Moreover, he anchored their defense and kept the Warriors from penetrating and driving to the rim.
That's why Stephen Curry and Draymond Green had no choice but to tip their hats off to Davis, praising him for how his dominance allowed his teammates to focus on crowding the perimeter.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green Discuss Anthony Davis' Impact
"For sure. It’s also because of how they’re playing us,” Curry said postgame. “They know they want to take away our threes, even though we got 50 of them up. They want to try to put pressure on the perimeter, funnel everything into the paint, and allow him to disrupt a lot and close the space pretty quickly. It’s kind of deceiving. You feel like you have a good look to get it over the top, and he gets a fingertip on it.
"You got to respect it," Curry added. "That’s how he makes an impact on that end of the floor, and you can’t be stubborn, thinking you can just keep going in there. You still got to be able to drive and put pressure on the rim, but you can do it in a creative way. So, yes, you got to feel it because it’s impactful."
"He's a great player," Green said. "Very athletic. Great rim protector. His shot was going in tonight. I felt like he made every one of those mid-ranges he took. You got to live with some of those, but I think we can do a better job individually and collectively to take some of those away."
The Warriors only shot six free throws to the Lakers' 29, so Davis' presence on the paint was most definitely a factor. Now, it'll be up to Steve Kerr to win the chess match and figure out how to get him out of rhythm.
