Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Schroder, depleted Lakers gut out improbable win

Written by 
Published in Basketball
Thursday, 05 January 2023 00:04

LOS ANGELES -- Already missing three starters in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Lonnie Walker going into the game and seeing a fourth, Troy Brown Jr., exit early because of a left quad strain, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham felt the need to protect Dennis Schroder from himself after the point guard rolled his right ankle midway through the fourth quarter on Wednesday.

"He got in the huddle and I told him, 'Man, if I see you limping, I'm taking you out,'" Ham said, describing the Lakers' timeout with 5:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, trailing the Miami Heat by three. "He said, 'No. Leave me in the game. I'll be all right, Coach. I'm good.'

"I said, 'Well, be good.' And then he said, 'I'm not going to be good, I'm going to be great.' Those were his exact words to me."

Schroder stayed in the game, working through the pain caused by stepping on Bam Adebayo's foot, and stepped up to the free throw line to immediately drain two free throws, cutting the Lakers' deficit to a point. One possession later, he hit a 3 from the corner to put L.A. ahead by two.

The Lakers never trailed again, winning 112-109. Schroder led the team with a season-high 32 points, along with four rebounds and four steals.

"I just try to be there for my teammates," Schroder said. "I felt pretty good after [turning it]. Of course it was sore and it hurt. But I know my limits."

Ham, who was an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks when Schroder came into the league as a rookie, credited the veteran guard for gutting it out.

"A lot of times, when your adrenaline is pumping like that, you don't feel it," Ham said. "But I'm sure, later on tonight or in the morning, he's going to feel that. Kid's just a fireball of a competitor. And he showed that tonight."

The win lifted L.A. to 4-1 in its past five games and 5-5 overall since Davis went out of the lineup with a fractured bone spur and stress reaction in his right foot.

Schroder was one of several Lakers to have strong nights, with Thomas Bryant (21 points on 9-for-11 shooting, 9 rebounds), Russell Westbrook (21 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals), Austin Reaves (11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) and Wenyen Gabriel (10 points on 4-for-6 shooting) also contributing.

"I just think different guys are settling into their roles, getting more comfortable with more reps, more minutes," Ham said. "When we do get our big dogs back, whether it's Bron, AD, both of them back, Lonnie as well, it just makes us that much stronger, that much deeper because now guys have confidence. They have the ultimate confidence because they've gotten the reps."

L.A. is now one game behind Utah for the 10th seed in the Western Conference, which could get the Lakers back in the playoffs through the final play-in spot.

While it's hardly the brand of basketball equating to the 17 championships the franchise is known for, the stretch without Davis has shown that the Lakers had a relatively successful offseason when it comes to signing decisions, with Schroder, Bryant and Brown all finding consistent success despite only being inked to minimum contracts.

Schroder, who is back with the Lakers on his second stint with the team, said that Ham's presence weighed heavily in his choice to return.

"We've been talking for like, I don't know, 3-4 years [saying that] when he becomes head coach that I want to be his PG," Schroder said. "He trusts me. I remember Summer League my second year, he was the head coach there and he just let me be me.

"And right now, he keeps telling me to be aggressive even when Bron and AD are there, Russ. 'Be aggressive and do your s---.' That's what he always says. So, I'm going to keep being aggressive, keep finding my way and I got to shout out to him that whatever he said before I came here, he lived up to it. So, I love him."

Read 191 times

Soccer

Mo Salah glum on Liverpool future: 'More out than in'

Mo Salah glum on Liverpool future: 'More out than in'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMohamed Salah has said he is yet to receive a formal contract offer...

Galaxy hit 6 to rout Loons; Sounders next in West

Galaxy hit 6 to rout Loons; Sounders next in West

Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic each scored twice -- with one goal in each half -- a...

Amorim: United set for long period of suffering

Amorim: United set for long period of suffering

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRúben Amorim said Manchester United will have to "suffer for a long...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCharlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams sustained season-ending te...

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsScotty Pippen Jr. already had plenty of fond memories of watching h...

Baseball

Woodward returns to Dodgers as first-base coach

Woodward returns to Dodgers as first-base coach

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Chris Woodward has been named first-base coach by th...

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

EmailPrintRico Carty, who won the 1970 National League batting title when he hit a major-league-best...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated