The game had taken almost three hours to play, leaving Dennis Schroder to admit he felt some fatigue after the double-overtime affair the Lakers needed to defeat the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center.
Schroder played 40 minutes and 32 seconds, the fourth most on the team, and he was highly efficient in the process, his game reaching yet another level for the Lakers.
So, when he sat down to do his postgame videoconference with the media late Saturday night, Schroder was asked if he ever gets tired.
He tilted his head down and smiled before answering.
“I mean, now I’m tired,” Schroder said with a little chuckle. “I’m going to get some rest tonight. I think in the game all that matters is a ‘W.’ I seen everybody with their hands on their knees. Myself, I was tired, but we fought through it, did a great job closing it out.”
Schroder played 16:26 in the second half, and all five minutes in both overtimes.
When his night was completed, Schroder had 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds. He missed just two of his nine shots and had made all eight of his free throws.
“I play with the two best players in the world,” said Schroder, referring to LeBron James, who had 33 points and 11 assists in 46:29, and Anthony Davis, who had 30 points in 44:31.
“So, for me, I try to adjust to this group, to them, it’s big time. I think I just got to be more aggressive taking the right shots and putting them in good position to score and play a lot faster. I think that’s what changed the last couple of games. Play with more intensity on the offensive end and I think that help me to get into a groove a little bit offensively and to pick up full court on the defensive end as well.”
Schroder has been on fire for the Lakers this month, particularly his shooting.
In three games this month, he is shooting 71.4% from the field, making 20 of 28 shots. He has made 21 consecutive free throws.
“On the offensive end, when I play with these guys, I got to play with more pace,” Schroder said. “I think we got to run faster. We got to play ball a lot faster. Me, KCP [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope], get out, let Bron handle it. We get a stop. We rebound, whatever it is. He’s hitting us early to get easy layups.
“In transition, I can attack early. I think that’s the way it’s been the last three games. I’ve been so aggressive. I think we just got to keep that going and when I’m open shoot it and just play with confidence.”
The Lakers led the Pistons by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, but that lead slipped away.
It then required the Lakers to dig a little deeper to pull out the win to improve to 6-4 at home, 18-6 overall.
“I think we got some stops down the stretch,” Schroder said. “LeBron hit a couple of tough ones at the end to get us the W. But I think overall we played a hell of a game defensively. But I think in the fourth quarter we let up a little bit. They made some like contested, highly contested shots. But at the end of the day, we got the win and we’re going to move forward.”
