The sting of defeat frequently highlights mistakes, and the Los Angeles Lakers committed plenty of them in their March 6 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Lakers star LeBron James cited numerous major variables, including Kings player De’Aaron Fox having the Lakers’ number, former teammate Malik Monk, and Anthony Davis picking up an early second foul in the first quarter.
Davis, who acknowledged that the foul was questionable, also raised a more serious issue.
“That was the game we needed. We came out full of energy on both ends of the floor. The second quarter, however, dictated the game. Some of the defensive situations we were in let De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk to do whatever they wanted, including living up the paint. If I go to help, [Domantas] Sabonis will be available.”
“They did a good job manipulating what we were doing.””It was questionable foul calls,” Davis explained. “It’s difficult to play in foul trouble. You don’t want to get any cheap ones. But, yes, when I’m on the floor, our defense is a different team.”
Darvin Ham, the team’s head coach, has come under fire for failing to make in-game adjustments. And, while Davis did not confront his coach directly, declining to say whether appealing the call would have made a difference, he was plainly upset with the gameplan and/or the lack of adjustments.
Kings’ Social Media Team Takes Shot at Lakers’ Anthony Davis
Sabonis had a triple-double, scoring 16 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, and two steals. Davis totaled 14 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and one block. He struggled from However, he went 5-for-13 from the floor (38.5%).
Davis’ presence, however, has had little impact when Sabonis plays on the other side.
He also faced criticism for his winless record versus Sabonis, which stretches back to Davis’ time with the New Orleans Pelicans and Sabonis’ stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
