Without Anthony Davis and with LeBron James under the weather, the Lakers had little to offer against the Warriors as they lost a critical showdown on Tuesday.
In the biggest game of the season, the Lakers were without Anthony Davis, had an under-the-weather LeBron James and little fight in the end as they fell to the Warriors, 134-120.
LeBron James scored 33 points with 11 assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. Austin Reaves seemed to shoot himself out of a slump going 4-7 from behind the arc for 22 points. Rui Hachimura put up a double-double, scoring 20 points with 11 rebounds.
With Anthony Davis out, the Lakers would need a next-man mentality to pair with LeBron, who was still under the weather but playing.
A must-win game for the Lakers started with them being down five early. A 3-pointer from Austin got them rolling and quickly erased that deficit. The offense slowed and the Warriors were able to go up eight.
AD’s absence showed early as the purple and gold struggled to stop the Warriors in the paint. D’Angelo Russell nailed three free throws to cut the deficit from 12 to nine at the end of the quarter.
The Lakers were not necessarily struggling with their offense; it was their defense that hindered their ability to control the Warriors. In the second quarter, they cut the deficit to three despite those struggles.
The Warriors answered back the only way they knew how, knocking down three after three after three, extending their lead back to 12. A three by Steph Curry, the God of three-pointers, extended their lead to 17.
The Lakers struggled to find the defense they desperately needed. Draymond Green was lights out from behind the arc, going five for five. At the end of the half, LA cut the deficit to 11 with Austin heating up.
The third quarter saw the Lakers bring the deficit to within six as Austin’s aggressive offense brought some life into the team. The energy was there, but it was up to LA’s defense to show up. After the Warriors countered, the Lakers cut the deficit to six again.
It was a back-and-forth battle with the home team looking all over the place for some magical defensive abilities. The Warriors had all the answers for every mild comeback the Lakers had, extending their lead to 17 at the end of the third
LA started the fourth with a 9-0 run, fueled by LeBron, to cut the deficit to eight. It was the jumpstart the Lakers needed to help make it a game again, but it would be up to their defense to show up. The Warriors again had the answers and pushed it to a 14-point lead.
As the clock kept ticking, it became obvious that the Lakers would not survive this AD-less game. At the halfway mark of the period, the deficit was 12 with the Lakers trying to conjure up a classic fake comeback.
After back-to-back blocks on Rui, the Warriors put the game away at the 2:33 mark.
Key Takeaways:
A tale as old as time. D’Angelo Russell giveth many games of masterclass offensive performances and he taketh away with a terrible game when it matters the most.
LA must find ways to conjure some defense when they miss their key defensive guys. It’s hard to defend a hot Warriors team, but it’s not impossible. Fight until the end, don’t lose your composure.
There isn’t much else to say. It is what it is, an expected loss.
The Lakers’ next game is Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies at 5:00 PM PT.
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