If you’ve followed the Lakers at all over the past 13 years, you’ve definitely heard STAPLES Center chant, “We. Want. Ta-cos!”
In the past, fans would get coupons for two free Jack in the Box tacos if the Lakers won at home and held their opponents to fewer than 100 points. But with scoring through the roof across the NBA in recent years, that threshold has been pushed to 111 for this season.
However, the Lakers needed no extra cushion in Friday’s home opener. In fact, thanks to Anthony Davis and friends, it may have been the most comfortable taco night of all-time.
The Lakers held Utah to a mere 86 points, and forced the Jazz into nearly as many turnovers (22) as made shots (29).
Davis — who declared his Defensive Player of the Year intentions in the offseason — was at the heart of this shutdown, particularly in the second half when he started at center in a head-to-head matchup with reigning two-time DPOY Rudy Gobert.
The NBA’s leader in field goal percentage last season (66.9), Gobert managed just one basket in that second half. On the night, he was also the victim of two Davis blocks and a steal, as the new Lakers star used his otherworldly length to wall off Utah’s guards while still being able to recover to Gobert.
But Gobert was far from the only Jazzman who felt Davis’ impact. One of Davis’ top selling points is his ability to thrive in any defensive scheme.
Among the league’s best shot-blockers, he’s as good as it gets dropping back to protect the rim. But he’s also so quick and long that he can step up and corral guards away from the hoop.
(And it doesn’t hurt that he can break out a vicious Eurostep right after getting the stop on a lethal slasher like Donovan Mitchell.)
Still, defense is a five-man endeavor, and even a talent like AD — with five blocks and two steals on the night — can’t do it on his own.
Danny Green has shown excellent defensive instincts and anticipation since the very start of preseason (and, well, his entire career). Friday was no exception, as he ended up with three steals and a swat.
Green and his fellow guards — namely Alex Caruso and Avery Bradley — also helped Davis stonewall Gobert by providing constant pressure on Utah’s guards, while maintaining the awareness to switch and harass Gobert when needed.
The Jazz know something about elite defenses, considering they’ve ranked among the NBA’s top three in defensive rating for three straight years. And they continued to show that on Friday by holding the Lakers to only 95 points on 39.5 percent shooting.
On most nights, that’s not nearly enough firepower to pull out a win, much less a decisive one. But it was an across-the-board defensive effort that propelled the Lakers to such a victory.
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard was another key, picking up pairs of steals and blocks during his time as paint protector. Five Lakers — Howard, Davis, Green, Bradley and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — had at least two swipes.
The Lakers have the potential to be an elite defensive team. We’ll see just how high they can fly in the coming weeks.
