The Lakers lost their playoff opener 99-90 against the Suns in what appeared like a half-hearted attempt at winning the game. Even as a #7 seed, the defending champions are playing this series as the favorites to win. Yet, the first game proved that the path ahead can even force an early game 7 if the Lakers did not improvise.
This game from Anthony Davis was much like his first-half play against the Warriors in the play-in tournament. He seemed out of touch and that cost them three straight quarters. So is it that AD is aware of all his flaws?
Anthony Davis took the entire blame on himself
Prior to the first game, the Lakers had listed both Anthony Davis (shoulder pain) and LeBron James (ankle soreness) on the injury list. Still, both the stars averaged 37 minutes on the floor, more than any other Laker. However, AD went for a shameful negative 18 in the +/- with a poor field shooting of 31.3%.
In the post-game conference, The Brow took the blame on him and expressed, “No way we’re winning a game, let alone a series, with me playing the way I played…”
Anthony Davis shoulders the blame for the Game 1 loss: "No way we're winning a game, let alone a series, with me playing the way I played. This one is on me."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) May 23, 2021
When the reporters told LeBron about the response from AD, the 4x champion responded like a leader and said, “It’s never on just one guy…”
LeBron on AD taking the blame for Game 1 loss: "It's never on just one guy, but I love when AD puts that pressure on himself."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) May 23, 2021
The Akron Hammer scored an 18-point double-double himself but also succumbed to five (35.7% of the team’s) turnovers. It was certainly a fatigued show from the star duo and they’d want to forget this when they come back for game 2.
Read more – Are LeBron James and Chris Paul Friends? A Deeper Look into Their Relationship
Where else did the Suns get ahead of the Lakers squad?
Even as Chris Paul almost badly injured his shoulder in a collision with LeBron, he stayed on the floor for 36 minutes. The 36-YO veteran contributed from both ends and enjoyed a positive +/-. Also, the Lakers defense fell short against the highly athletic Devin Booker who scored 34 points at 50% FG.
But notably, it was DeAndre Ayton who played so much better than his counterpart in AD. The center player dropped an insane efficacy of 90.09 FG% as he ruled the paint with nobody stopping him. The Lakers performed well at the beginning of the fourth quarter but failed at scoring with Kyle Kuzma going scoreless and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope having a nightmarish shooting.
Do you think the Lakers can win this series in the next four games? Help us know in the comments.
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