Brown gets minutes fit for a king
Austin Reaves sat at the podium looking at the stat sheet, then flashed a look of amazement when he saw how long Troy Brown Jr. had played during the Lakers’ 113-105 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday afternoon.
“He played 41 minutes? Jeez!” Reaves said.
To be exact, Brown played 41 minutes 11 seconds, the most by anyone in the game.
He displayed his all-around game, scoring 14 points on fivefor-10 shooting, four for seven on three-pointers, grabbing eight rebounds and handing out two assists.
He did his part on defense too, defending Klay Thompson at times, Stephen Curry when caught in a switch, Draymond Green and any other player the Lakers asked him to guard.
“To be honest, I didn’t know I had played that many minutes,” Brown said. “I had no idea. Obviously with the rotations, I thought I was coming out and then going back in, but I wasn’t looking at stat sheets.
“It’s a blessing, honestly, just to get that opportunity, especially right now playing with time and with us playing for something and being able to be out there with those guys and make big plays. I’m grateful for it.”
Brown is starting again because LeBron James is out with a right foot injury.
Brown had gone to the bench when coach Darvin Ham decided to start recently acquired Jarred Vanderbilt alongside Anthony Davis and James.
Brown never let that become a problem.
“It’s just great to have a kid like that, the way he shoots the ball, the way he can put it on the floor, he rebounds. It’s great,” Ham said. “He played 41 minutes tonight, but we needed him out there all 41 tonight. The job he did on Klay, when he got cross-matched on different guys, he earned his weight in gold tonight. But it’s been a pleasure. He’s another one, just a pleasant kid to be around. He’s been a pleasure to coach this season.”
Brown scored on a layup late in the fourth quarter by cutting to the basket, taking a pass from Davis for a two-point lead that the Lakers never surrendered.
He then got a defensive rebound on the next play and drilled a three-pointer a few possessions later.
So, Brown said, starting or coming off the bench is not something he’ll let become an issue.
“It’s more with a clear head, more of a clear mindset,” Brown said. “It’s not really taking anything personal, trying to be professional and just know that they have a plan and the coaching staff has a plan and they are trying to put together their stuff. So, for me, I just try to come out every night and do what I can do and make sure I’m locked in and give the team what I need on my end.”
Schroder playing despite ankle injury
Dennis Schroder is playing with a left ankle injury he suffered last week against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the point guard is gutting though it because he is needed.
Schroder is starting while D’Angelo Russell is out because of a right ankle sprain.
Against the Warriors on Sunday, Schroder played 33:16 and had 11 points and six assists.
“It’s a lot of pressure on him right now,” Davis said. “He’s our primary ball handler. We’re missing our two in LeBron and DLo, and guys are trying to pick him up full court. But he’s finding a way to navigate it. I’m not sure if his ankle is still bothering him or not, but he’s very tough. He comes out and finishes the OKC game, plays against Minnesota. He knows the stakes, wants to get to the playoffs, wants to win by any means, and he’s gonna go out there and give it a go.”
Schroder got treatment after Sunday’s game, doing all he can to stay ready.
“Yeah, I got a lot of treatment on my ankle. I feel good now,” he said. “Last game was a little … was still thinking about it a little bit. But right now, I think I feel in a good place.”
Schroder will be counted on to run the offense while Russell and James are sidelined.
Schroder also has to play his typical tough defense against some of the best point guards.
“I just try to make the right decisions,” Schroder said. “Most important that we just structure the offense and that we don’t have too many wasted possessions and bad shots. I just try to run the offense and put people into position to score. Today was a decent job and AR [Reaves] did a great job of it too.”