HAM EXPECTS DAVIS TO PLAY
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he expects Anthony Davis to play tonight in Los Angeles, adding that the eight-time AllStar big man is “not showing any signs of anything” and is not in the NBA’s concussion protocol after being hit in the head late in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals.
“We checked in with him, and he’s feeling great,” Ham said. “Our medical staff gave us a great update. He’s not in the (concussion) protocol.”
Davis will be listed as probable for Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors.
“It’s huge,” Ham said. “He’s the centerpiece of what we’re trying to do on both sides of the ball, and for us just in general, our success rate. So that was great, great news.”
Davis was hurt by what appeared to be an inadvertent shot to the head from Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 victory in San Francisco.
Davis grabbed at his head grimacing on the bench before going to the locker room following the play with 7:43 remaining. He and Looney were battling for position in the paint on a driving layup by the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell.
TNT reported Davis required a wheelchair to go to the locker room, but he walked out of Chase Center on his own.
Ham confirmed that the Lakers’ medical staff had performed proper evaluation of Davis and any potential head injury.
“We follow protocol, not just with AD, but with any of our players, any of our employees,” Ham said.
The Lakers lead the best-ofseven series 3-2.
Davis finished with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists, but didn’t block a shot.
After the game, teammate Austin Reaves said Los Angeles would be ready with or without Davis.
“Obviously, AD is huge to what we do. I believe he’ll play, but if that’s not the case, we’re still a group of NBA basketball players that have played games without him this year,” Reaves said. “You never want to play a big game without a guy like that. But that’s the nature of the game.”
Stephen Curry and the Warriors fully expected to see AD in Game 6 as they left Game 5.
“I have no idea what happened to him or what his situation is,” Curry said, “but I would say yeah.”
Thursday’s results
Celtics 95, 76ers 86: Jayson Tatum humbly believes he is one of the best basketball players in the NBA and not even a lengthy streak of missed shots in a win-or-else Game 6 could shake his faith.
Sometimes, though, a pep talk in the heat of the moment lifts even the most confident stars. Boston rookie coach Joe Mazzulla pulled the forward aside in a late timeout and didn’t draw a play or tell Tatum to keep shooting and soon the buckets would fall.
His message was more simple.
“I love you,” Mazzulla told Tatum. “That’s a pretty powerful statement.”
Tatum rewarded his coach’s love with decisive 3-pointers straight through the heart of a Philadelphia comeback that pushed the Celtics past the 76ers to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.
“I kept looking at the time,” Tatum said. “I’ve got time, I’ve got time to make a difference. I believed that the whole time.”
Tatum buried one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in firm control in front of a boisterous Philly crowd. Tatum stuck it to the 76ers with one final 3-pointer for a 95-84 lead.
Game 7 is Sunday. The winner of the Miami-New York semifinal awaits the Celtics or 76ers.
Nuggets 125, Suns 100: Nikola Jokic scored 32 points in another triple-double, Jamal Murray added 26 and visiting Denver advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2020 by beating short-handed Phoenix in Game 6.
Denver’s series victory comes two seasons after the Nuggets were embarrassed in a second-round postseason sweep by the Suns. This time, it was the Suns getting blown out on their home floor to end the season for the second straight year.
The Nuggets will play in the conference finals for the first time since they lost to the Lakers in five games in the Florida bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They have never reached the NBA Finals.