Los Angeles Lakers: Houston Rockets “Micro Ball” is dead! 5 Lessons

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 10: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers react during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 10, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 10: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers react during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 10, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have a new tag team called the “Grave Diggers” to end “Micro Ball,” meet Anthony Davis!

Mike D’Antoni will be fired next week. This is no secret, but you can’t fault him for going out on his terms. He wanted the small lineup to prove the NBA world that he could win a title with his uptempo style of play. He beat the Lakers three times in a row with it, but it took Frank Vogel about a game a half in this series to figure it out.

 It’s over. Why?

Anthony Davis stands almost seven feet tall and has the wingspan of skyscrapers. P.J. Tucker is 6’5 and is a stronger moving version of a chair. AD led a rebounding barrage with his partner (Stay tuned!) that bordered on embarrassment.

The Los Angeles Lakers outrebounded the Rockets 52-26 and it started with Davis who almost hit double figures by halftime.

Unless Tyson Chandler comes off the bench to lean on this guy (PFFT!…Don’t hold your breath!) or unless P.J. Tucker or Robert Covington gets that supersized growth spurt AD had in high school, nothing will change.

Now that Markieff Morris is in the starting lineup, AD starts the game right where he needs to be, down on the blocks beating those small players up. Just like basketball was intended.

Anthony Davis is enjoying bubble life in the paint dropping 29 points (10-18 shooting, hit all 9 free throws!) 12 rebounds (3 offensive!), 5 assists and 2 blocks. He literally could use Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” as his theme song because that is what he doing to the tune of hitting 17 straight baskets in the paint.

The only thing that needs to be watched at this point is possible cheap shots from the Rockets in the deciding game.

You’ve met one half of the tag team. Read on to see what his partner did to the death of “Micro Ball”.