Anthony Davis: The Suns know they got lucky last year with my injury.

[NyKnicks1714]

He's right. The fact that the Lakers are awful this year doesn't change what happened last year. If every team was fully healthy last season, I think the Nets sweep the Lakers in the Finals.

Not sure. Before Paul got injured in game 1 for the second half, the teams were healthy, despite players from both teams being banged up as usual.

Suns win game 1 with a healthy AD and CP3 healthy for a half. Then in the second half they have AD healthy and Paul was useless, but hurting the team more than had they had Payne in.

Game 2 is close with Paul completely useless and not being guarded, allowing LA to double...this before LA went down. Game 3 Paul still useless and AD healthy. Lakers expected to win without CP3 healthy given the Suns had been bad the year before with Paul not there...26-39 before the bubble when teams they played were resting people and had all stars out.

In game 4 Paul started to feel better and AD played in the first half and was 2-9 and the Suns left at halftime....this a game in LA too so Suns were on pace to win on the road against a healthy AD with the Lakers to tie it up and have Paul healthy, where they had beaten LA in the series so far when both were healthy (game 1 when Paul was healthy for only a half, and the first half of game 4).

Lakers can't ever stay healthy though last year or this year so expecting them ever to be healthy doesn't matter. We can talk all day about other teams that would have won past finals if players didn't get injured, but nothing is guaranteed and injuries are a part of the game.

But had neither Paul or AD gotten injured, the Lakers had a chance, but the Suns still likely win. We will see this year if the Lakers are healthy in the playoffs and they meet again.

I just disagree. If AD is healthy and LeBron is fully healthy (he wasn't), I think the Lakers win the series...although if that was the case they wouldn't have played in the 1st round to begin with, and we also have to throw the Clippers into the mix of what happens in the WC playoffs. This year's Lakers team has little chance against an even Paul-less Suns; I don't see it as any indicator of what would have happened last season.

[SFour]

AD was lucky he didn't get injured during their bubble championship run....be grateful for that and don't push your luck.

[SK21209]

I think AD is right, but who cares because that wasn't the scenario that played out. Those two teams should have been playing in the 2nd round or the WCF, not the first round, but the Lakers were riddled with injuries after the first quarter of the season.

Booker is also right that **** happens to every team every year. It happens in every sport, the Rams just won the Superbowl but I think there's a pretty good chance they lose to the Niners in the NFCCG if Tartt didn't drop that 4th quarter interception. You can point to something going right for just about every champion in every team sport.

[darmani]

Lakers were -16 with Anthony Davis on the court against the Suns
Lakers were losing in game 4 when AD (6 pts on 2/9 FG in 19 minutes) got injured
AD played only 25 minutes less in the series than CP3
CP3 averaged 9pts on 44% TS against the Lakers in the playoffs

Just sayin'

[Karate Diop]

AD not wrong... Last year was the luck fluke finals.

[bwgood77]

He's right. The fact that the Lakers are awful this year doesn't change what happened last year. If every team was fully healthy last season, I think the Nets sweep the Lakers in the Finals.

Not sure. Before Paul got injured in game 1 for the second half, the teams were healthy, despite players from both teams being banged up as usual.

Suns win game 1 with a healthy AD and CP3 healthy for a half. Then in the second half they have AD healthy and Paul was useless, but hurting the team more than had they had Payne in.

Game 2 is close with Paul completely useless and not being guarded, allowing LA to double...this before LA went down. Game 3 Paul still useless and AD healthy. Lakers expected to win without CP3 healthy given the Suns had been bad the year before with Paul not there...26-39 before the bubble when teams they played were resting people and had all stars out.

In game 4 Paul started to feel better and AD played in the first half and was 2-9 and the Suns left at halftime....this a game in LA too so Suns were on pace to win on the road against a healthy AD with the Lakers to tie it up and have Paul healthy, where they had beaten LA in the series so far when both were healthy (game 1 when Paul was healthy for only a half, and the first half of game 4).

Lakers can't ever stay healthy though last year or this year so expecting them ever to be healthy doesn't matter. We can talk all day about other teams that would have won past finals if players didn't get injured, but nothing is guaranteed and injuries are a part of the game.

But had neither Paul or AD gotten injured, the Lakers had a chance, but the Suns still likely win. We will see this year if the Lakers are healthy in the playoffs and they meet again.

I just disagree. If AD is healthy and LeBron is fully healthy (he wasn't), I think the Lakers win the series...although if that was the case they wouldn't have played in the 1st round to begin with, and we also have to throw the Clippers into the mix of what happens in the WC playoffs. This year's Lakers team has little chance against an even Paul-less Suns; I don't see it as any indicator of what would have happened last season.

LeBron got a lot of rest before the playoffs and had 23.2, 7.2, 8 and 1.5 in the series, and shot better from 3 than he had in 8 years. If he wasn't full strength, he was very close to it and had been able to rest.

I know people like to use excuses with playoff losses and especially when it comes to LeBron, but he wasn't really off his game at all.

[youngthegiant]

Yea I actually agree with AD... Suns fans act like they won a title with how arrogant they reacted to this, Lakers had all the momentum and were about to go up 3-1, then AD went down. Suns are a good team but ALOT of things went their way to make it to the finals, their fans have definitely been running their mouths way too much acting like their team just finished a 3 peat and no one is on their level.

[darmani]

Yea I actually agree with AD... Suns fans act like they won a title with how arrogant they reacted to this, Lakers had all the momentum and were about to go up 3-1, then AD went down. Suns are a good team but ALOT of things went their way to make it to the finals, their fans have definitely been running their mouths way too much acting like their team just finished a 3 peat and no one is on their level.

They were losing when AD got injured.

[OdomFan]

AD should just accept that they lost. Move on and try to do something either right now or next season. I personally would like to see both him and Lebron gone from my Lakers.

[zimpy27]

He's right, Lakers win if Davis healthy.. but he wasn't healthy, that's the problem with the guy.

On top of that Suns were inexperienced, this year's team is far better and Lakers won't beat them even if fully healthy.

Lakers had a chance to go back to back that failed because of injury and availability. Doubt they ever get that chance again

[madmaxmedia]

The real luck came the year before, when he wasn't hurt.

This comment is underrated.

[Michael Jackson]

A lot of the NBA has been "lucky" with AD's injuries. Why just pick on the Suns?

I think the better question is why you have Ted Bundy as a pic?

Not sure if you are asking seriously, but having dealt with dangerous sociopaths from my childhood on, they are the only thing that freighters me. Buddy more than most because his charm had no limits. Scary scary human (and calling him human is a stretch of the definition) Now that particular picture is one that just wows me. It is him defending himself in court, he is getting the judge to laugh... this is a person the judge knows to have escaped prison 2 times and is guiltier than sin. It is just an iconic picture in the sense of how it embodies him. The man had no empathy and because of that he could manipulate anyone. Scary stuff. When I heard Ted Just Admit It by Janes Addiction it blew my mind as young buck. At some point like 15 years ago I changed the scary picture of Michael Jackson I had to Bundy and well here we are today still. Now if you ask why Michael Jackson to begin with? I started out with that screen name on Sportstalk with it and when ESPN bought that out I came to this site like a lot of people. I chose that name because in my oh so mature youth as Michael Jackson I would post the question If there was a good place to blow bubbles at the Staples Center. It was a sohmoric joke of course but that was a long time ago. It's also dated and you might not even get the joke lol.

[Michael Jackson]

He's right, Lakers win if Davis healthy.. but he wasn't healthy, that's the problem with the guy.

On top of that Suns were inexperienced, this year's team is far better and Lakers won't beat them even if fully healthy.

Lakers had a chance to go back to back that failed because of injury and availability. Doubt they ever get that chance again

Not with this current squad for sure. Back to back is tough.

Here is my biggest beef with AD... It is the fake tough guy comments like this, in a game he is not even playing. He really bugged me with the LeBron/Stewart scuffle earlier in the year as he hid behind two other players and instigated it further. It was like the kid in HS yelling Fight fight fight. Then he comments after like he was a tough guy. It is just annoying and you prefer people like that to keep their mouths shut. Get out and play and take the Suns this year in the playoffs then go and make your claim then.

[handsome salary]

A currently injured Anthony Davis talking tough about last seasons injured Anthony Davis. Sounds right.

[AussieCeltic]

tbf lakers were destroying the suns when AD was at the 5 from what i remember

Up 2-1 and 10pts in the 2nd qrt but tbh whats the point of talkin about it? This franchise needs to live in the present moment...not in 2012

Well he was asked about it. Blame the reporter

How come Laker fans always say they were winning when AD went down? It's a flat out lie.

They were down 4 at halftime and that's when AD left and didn't return.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/pbp/202105300LAL.html

[Rodwilliams]

Let’s revisit this question when the Suns play the Lakers in the 1st round.

[YourCellarDoor]

comment on reddit said that AD saying this is like someone in Seattle saying they would have gotten something done if it didn't rain. why talk a big game about what would have happened if you weren't injured if you are constantly injured? it's not like it's some fluke thing, that's who he is.

[lakerz12]

And he's currently injured while saying this...

does he not realize how ridiculous that looks?

Take ownership of trying to be more durable. Your injury proneness is your own fault.

[Mr Puddles]

Up 2-1 and 10pts in the 2nd qrt but tbh whats the point of talkin about it? This franchise needs to live in the present moment...not in 2012

Well he was asked about it. Blame the reporter

How come Laker fans always say they were winning when AD went down? It's a flat out lie.

They were down 4 at halftime and that's when AD left and didn't return.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/pbp/202105300LAL.html

I must have seen the "the Lakers were up 10 points before AD went down" thing posted about a dozen times. It's really puzzling how that narrative seems to persist when it's easily debunkable. The Suns were leading 51-50 when Davis collapsed to the floor after landing from a lay-up attempt, then the Suns hit a three-pointer on the other end as Davis was slow to get up - the score when he exited was 54-50.

Link to the moment it happened - with the score at the bottom of the screen
https://youtu.be/erS2NOsfPkU?t=282

[youngthegiant]

Yea I actually agree with AD... Suns fans act like they won a title with how arrogant they reacted to this, Lakers had all the momentum and were about to go up 3-1, then AD went down. Suns are a good team but ALOT of things went their way to make it to the finals, their fans have definitely been running their mouths way too much acting like their team just finished a 3 peat and no one is on their level.

They were losing when AD got injured.

They were up 51 to 50 when he got injured in game 4 lol. You act like they were up 30 smh.