The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t get off to a good start of the playoffs. They were outhustled, outworked, outcoached, and flat-out outplayed by the Phoenix Suns for a full 48 minutes and lost 99-90 on the road.
Truth be told, it seemed like the Suns were in control for the entire game and the final score could’ve and would’ve been uglier if it wasn’t for a late push from Frank Vogel’s squad and Chris Paul’s hurt shoulder.
LeBron James scored just 18 points and was held in check for most of the second half. Then again, it was Anthony Davis the one who left a lot to be desired, getting completely bodied by Deandre Ayton in the paint.
Anthony Davis Takes The Blame For Game 1 Loss
Davis finished the night with just 13 points (5/16 FG, 0/2 3PG) and 7 rebounds, bricking shot after shot and struggling to establish position vs. Ayton. At the end of the day, he even took the blame for the loss:
“Usually, I come out the gates very dominant. I think today, we had it going. ‘Bron hit a couple threes, we get into the paint, Drum,” Davis said. “So I kind of just got lost in the offense. But I still have to be assertive, find ways to get the ball. It just kind of took me out of rhythm. But it’s on me. I still gotta find a way to make plays on that end of the floor.”
Then again, the former New Orleans Pelicans star isn’t too worried about the future of the series, as he knows that he’s not the kind of player who strings bad performances, and vowed to be better come Game 2.
“Like I say: it’s on me. I’m not too worried about my performance. I know I’ll be better, I know we’ll be better in Game 2,” he added.
LeBron James Says Davis Needs To Be More Aggressive
LeBron James chimed in on the situation by stating that he knows that Davis can handle the pressure and will bounce back, but held him accountable for not being aggressive enough and thus hurting his team’s chances:
“It’s never on just one guy, but I love when AD puts that pressure on himself,” James said. “We’re a better team when he’s aggressive. We’re a better team when he demands the ball. But we all gotta do our jobs a lot better, as well.”
“We did a hell of a job defensively but we’ve got to make shots and tonight we didn’t do that,” James added.
Davis and LeBron had a great relationship so it’s not like these comments aregoing to be a problem between them going forward. The Lakers are good enough to bounce back, but watch out for the up-and-coming Suns after such astatement win.
