The Lakers are fresh off being crowned the inaugural NBA in-season tournament champion following a 123–109 win over the Pacers. The victory came behind a great night from the trio of Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
But it’s Davis specifically who’s drawn extremely high praise after pouring in 41 points with 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. Davis was a force on both ends, and his defense has remained top-tier all season long, something head coach Darvin Ham praised by offering up a unique NFL comp for the big man while also tossing one LeBron’s way.
“If ‘Bron is our Tom Brady on offense, Anthony Davis is our Ray Lewis. He anchors our defense, he plays middle linebacker, he communicates, he does all of that,” Ham told NBA TV.
“He covers up for the mistakes, and he allows for our perimeter defenders,” Ham continued, “to just turn them loose on the perimeter and be in the passing lanes and be aggressive on the ball. They know he’s got their back.”
“If Bron is our Tom Brady on offense, Anthony Davis is our Ray Lewis. He anchors our defense, he plays middle linebacker, he communicates, he does all of that.”
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 10, 2023
Lakers HC Darvin Ham on AD’s defense 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/6ltLgUnyE1
It’s hard to disagree with Ham, considering the Lakers held Indiana’s league-leading offense to nearly 20 fewer points than their season average of 128.4. The Pacers also shot 36.8% from the field and 24.4% from beyond the arc in Saturday’s game.
