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Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The pain of losing often highlights mistakes, and the the Los Angeles Lakers did a lot in their loss against the Kings of Sacramento on March 6.
Lakers star LeBron James highlighted several key factors: Kings star De’Aaron Fox having Lakers number, former teammate Monk MalikAnd Anthony Davis picking up a second foul early in the first quarter.
Davis, who noted the foul was questionable, also pointed to a more concerning issue.
“It was a game we needed. … We came out with full energy on both ends of the court. And then the second quarter dictated the game. Some of the things we were in defensively allowed De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk to get what they wanted, to come up big in the paint. If I’m going to help, then [Domantas] Sabonis is wide open.
“They did a good job of manipulating what we were doing.”
“Those were questionable fouls,” Davis said. “It’s difficult to play in foul situations. You don’t want to buy cheap ones. But yeah, when I’m on the floor, our defense is a different team.
The head coach Darvin Ham has being under fire from criticism for his lack of in-game adjustments. And while Davis didn’t address his coach directly — he declined to say whether challenging the call would have made a difference — he was clearly dissatisfied with the game plan and/or or lack of adjustments.
Kings’ social media team takes shots at Lakers’ Anthony Davis
Sabonis recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists and two steals. Davis finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and one block. He struggled coming off the floor, however, shooting 5 of 13 (38.5%).
However, Davis’ presence didn’t matter much when Sabonis was on the other side.
He was also criticized for his winless record against the Sabonis, which dates back to Davis’s days with the New Orleans Pelicans and Sabonis’ tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Davis often came out with the statistical advantage individually. But Sabonis recorded the stat that matters most: victory. It’s also important for this season’s playoff race, something Davis noted before the first match and mentioned again afterwards.
Lakers are ‘necessary’ to beat Kings
“It’s a very important game,” Davis said from the Lakers locker room on March 4. “We’ll play them twice over the next week, so it’s going to be a big game. And then next week’s game is going to be a big game, so we have to come and take care of business.
The Lakers are 0-3 against the Kings this season.
Their advance in the Western Conference standings There are 2.5 games coming into play on March 7, leaving Davis to lament the missed opportunity after losing its 19-point lead.
“It sucks, especially in a must-win game that we needed,” Davis said. “We, I think, are a game and a half behind them. So you have to get this one, then have the chance to see them next week. It would have been a big victory for us.
The Lakers’ next game will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 8.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Vikings. He has covered the NBA and NFL since 2016, including on FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He is based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck Learn more about Josh Buckhalter
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