Anthony Davis: Lakers 'Not Ducking the Smoke' in 2024 NBA Playoffs Series vs. Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers apparently have a mantra heading into the 2024 NBA playoffs.

Both star Anthony Davis and coach Darvin Ham offered quotes about wanting the "smoke" as the Lakers prepare to play the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

"If they beat us, they beat us," Anthony Davis told The Athletic's Jovan Buha. "We're not ducking the smoke."

The Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals last year. Denver went on to win its first NBA Finals in franchise history.

While some believed the Lakers should have avoided the Nuggets by tanking Tuesday's Play-In Tournament matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, Ham pushed back against the notion.

"There was a report of what?" Ham said to reporters. "Insane asylum sources say?"

Lakers star LeBron James also expressed admiration for the Nuggets but said the believes the Lakers can pull off an upset if they play their best basketball.

"It's the defending champion," James said. "They know what it takes. They know how to win. They've been extremely dominant on their home floor over the last few years. They've got an MVP on their team. They've got a closer on their team. They've got high-level players, high-IQ players. And they've got a hell of a coach.

"So, we have to play mistake-free basketball. Make it tough on them. They're going to try to make it tough on us, obviously. But if we can play as great of a game as we can play, and they're going to play as great of a game as they play, it's going come down to one or two possessions. And we'll see who executes then."

The Nuggets are listed as a -335 favorite to beat the Lakers at FanDuel Sportsbook.