AP Sports activities Editor
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When JJ Redick was employed as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, he mentioned one among his first targets was to make Anthony Davis the offensive heart.
Two video games into Redick’s tenure, issues are going in line with plan.
With 35 factors Friday night time in a 123-116 victory over the Phoenix SunsDavis joined Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the one Lakers to attain at the very least 35 factors within the first two video games of a season.
“The blokes are making vital photographs. We’re making the fitting performs,” mentioned Davis, who additionally had eight rebounds, 4 assists and two blocked photographs. “Actually, the diagram JJ introduced helped me and helps everybody. We have now a lot area and we now have enjoyable doing it.
There was just one stretch final season the place Davis had back-to-back 35-point video games. He had 36 factors and 16 rebounds within the Lakers’ 110-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night time.
Friday’s match was extra dramatic.
The Lakers fell behind by 22 factors within the second quarter as Phoenix made 21 of its first 30 photographs. Los Angeles, nevertheless, made changes on protection and minimize the deficit to 61-52 at halftime earlier than rallying within the second half to get its first 2-0 begin in 14 years.
Reddick mentioned one of many causes the Lakers have been in a position to rally again was Davis’ endurance regardless of the early deficit.
“He has a consolation degree and a confidence degree that if the play begins to get wacky, he is aware of the ball goes to come back to him,” Reddick mentioned.
In a sport that additionally served as an early check for Coach Reddick and his workforce for the primary time, Davis was impressed with how Reddick dealt with preliminary adversity.
“Down 22, that’s when confidence and training has to come back in,” Davis mentioned. “JJ comes into the group and tells us to settle down as a result of we all know what we’re doing incorrect in the case of turnovers and transitions. The truth that he isn’t panicking, clearly, would not make us panic. We belief what he does and the tasks he places in place on each ends of the sector.
Reddick is the primary Lakers coach since Phil Jackson in 1999 to win his first two video games.
Davis’ elevated position has helped alleviate some strain on LeBron James whereas permitting Austin Reaves’ sport to proceed to develop.
James began 2 of 6 from the sector, however had 11 factors within the third quarter and completed with 21.
“It’s our job to exit and execute. We should earn their belief. We have now to execute and preserve focusing increasingly,” James mentioned. “It’s essential that he (Davis) was a focus for us. Offensively, we now have to search out him in a number of locations on the sector all through the sport. And we did it in two video games.
Reaves, who received a textual content from Reddick at 6 a.m. saying he may need an enormous sport, had 26 factors, together with 5 3-pointers.
“He is aware of the rhythm of the sport as a gamers’ coach,” Reaves mentioned of Reddick. “I feel the workers has an excellent IQ and sees the sport with a participant’s mindset.”
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