LOS ANGELES — Pregame Friday, Denver coach Michael Malone praised Anthony Davis, saying LeBron James’ insistence that the Lakers’ offense begins and ends with the team’s big man was the ultimate sign of respect.
In a stretch that has forced some to recalculate the Lakers’ potential, Davis has averaged 32.4 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, reaffirming his place among the NBA’s best players.
If the Lakers were going anywhere, it’s because Davis was going to take them there.
But another fluke play — this time leading to a right foot injury — knocked Davis out of the game and reiterated how narrow the team’s path is moving forward.
Narrow, though, doesn’t mean impossible and for the second time this season, the Lakers beat Denver in Los Angeles, knocking off one of the best teams in the West 126-108.
Russell Westbrook fueled the Lakers’ sprinting pace, James was a force in transition and the Lakers’ role players seemed to take turns keying huge moments with Davis hurting.
Seven Lakers, led by James’ 30, scored at least 10 points.
Thomas Bryant, tapped to fill-in at center for Davis, scored a season-high 21 points.
It’s the most points for Bryant since he scored 21 on Jan. 3, 2021.
The Lakers’ star big appeared to injure the foot in the first quarter on a reverse layup, clipping the outside of his right foot against the inside of Nikola Jokic’s leg.
He continued playing throughout the first half, scoring 10 points, before staying in the back after halftime.
Bryant replaced Davis to start the third quarter, not the kind of lineup change some Lakers fans have been looking for.
Slow starts, like the one the Lakers had against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, have been an issue that have cost the Lakers in some of their tightest losses.
And if you’re trying to fix consistent slow starts, there’s a pretty obvious option — change up the names Lawrence Tanter announces alongside James and Davis pregame.
But despite data that have shown the Lakers’ current starting five has struggled, coach Darvin Ham said he’s not actively looking to make a change.
“The NBA is a little bit different, man. You can’t have that rotary door within your lineup. You have to give a lineup a chance to grow and be in rhythm together. You get to moving bodies in and out of your lineup, it creates an imbalance,” Ham said before Friday night’s game with Denver. “…We have to be smart about all of that. We have a lineup that we trust and we’ll see.
“Going forward, things could change, God forbid, due to injury or some reason. But as of right now, we’re gonna be solid.”
The Lakers starting five — James, Davis, Lonnie Walker IV, Dennis Schroder and Patrick Beverley — entered Friday’s game allowing slightly more points per 100 possessions than they score.
Other lineups, namely one with four starters and Austin Reaves in for Beverley, have been more effective, albeit in smaller samples.
Ham, though, has said that he likes the defensive attitude Beverley and Schroder bring with the first unit.
“It’s been phenomenal defensively,” he said after a light practice Thursday. “That’s what we want to do. We want to set a tone. And their matchups, both of those guys can guard multiple positions.
“And I just want to keep setting that tone defensively to get us back to being a top-10 defensive team like we were earlier in the year, being a top-5 defensive team. We need to get back there.”
The Lakers’ starters are allowing 101.8 points per 100 possessions according to NBA.com lineup data. The Lakers, as a team, are allowing 111.7 points per 100 possessions — 12th in the league.
Ham said he thought Beverley and Schroder would get on track offensively, and Friday, with Davis out, both delivered.
Beverley scored 10 — his most this season — and Schroder was aggressive in scoring 15.
And the Lakers got out to a much better start against Denver, hanging with the NBA’s second-best offense before opening up the game late in the third and into the fourth.
