The Lakers fell 120-134 to the Warriors in a massive loss in which Anthony Davis didn’t play due to a headache.
Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers fell to their costliest loss of the season tonight against the Warriors, as big man Anthony Davis couldn’t play. LeBron James opened up on Davis’ absence and how it negatively impacted the Lakers in the 120-134 loss.
“It’s pretty much impossible to make up what he provides for our ball club offensively and defensively”
Davis was ruled out with a headache after a troubling week where he also injured his eye. Some fans have speculated that a possible knock to the head could have caused Davis’ headache when he was scratched in the eye or because of a contagious illness, given LeBron missed their last game due to an illness.
The Lakers are meeting obstacles at the worst possible time, as they have just two games left to secure their seed in the Play-In Tournament. A win tonight would have given the Lakers a half-game advantage in No. 8 over the Kings and ensure the Warriors can’t finish ahead of them, but instead, the Lakers now sit half a game behind the Kings and only half a game ahead of the No. 10 seed Warriors.
The Lakers face the Pelicans and Grizzlies to finish their season, with both games being must-win for the franchise if they stand any chance at climbing to No. 8 or even ensuring the Warriors don’t jump them for the No. 9 seed.
The Lakers Are Still Waiting To Be Fully Healthy
A tale as old as time is the Lakers franchise waiting for all their players to be available on the floor together. With players such as Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt still out of the lineup, the team was without their two best defenders, allowing the Warriors to have the greatest team-shooting performance in NBA history.
LeBron still believes in what this group can achieve if they can stay healthy, reiterating the same after the game.
“At the end of the day, we know we’re as good as any team in the league when we’re whole.”
Hoping for health shouldn’t be a strategy for the Lakers right now. Vanderbilt’s injury progress hasn’t been as smooth as most people expected, with the forward still having an unclear return timetable. Davis needs to be back soon, as the Lakers might not be able to withstand a challenging fixture against the Pelicans without Davis.
The Pelicans still have to fight for the No. 6 seed in the West, currently holding the seed ahead of the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers should take care of the Memphis Grizzlies, who recently ruled Jaren Jackson Jr. out for the season as well.
If health falls their way, the Lakers might just be unstoppable. But health is never guaranteed in the NBA and teams need to find a way to succeed without it, like the Mavericks did despite Kyrie Irving’s extended absences at the start of the season or like the Timberwolves right now without Karl-Anthony Towns.
