The case of Anthony Davis’ disappearance prior to the second game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors was not publicized.
But there, Davis was playing, barely noticeable, and making no impact on the Lakers.
After putting up 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks Lakers game 1 On the Warriors, he tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks Golden State victory 127-100 In Game 2 Thursday.
Davis’ performance was as baffling as it was problematic.
The Lakers can’t win this series with games like the one from Davis, who also pulled in four turnovers.
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Los Angeles probably won’t win this match even if Davis plays well. The Warriors were great in several areas. Steve Kerr and his coaching staff delivered a terrific response, and the players executed a more efficient offensive performance. It was a clinic run by Steve Curry and Clay Thompson.
But the Lakers don’t stand a chance in a game if that’s the production they’re getting from Davis. His play is checked from game to game, though not without reason. He had 4-for-14 and 4-for-13 games against Memphis. The Lakers were 1-1 in those games, but they could get away with that against the Grizzlies. They can’t against Golden State.
The Warriors made defensive adjustments as well, from Game 1 to Game 2, and focused a lot on Davis. Golden State center Kevon Looney was limited by illness, and Draymond Green spent time on defense for Davis.
The Warriors stopped Davis from dominating the edge, locking out the pick-and-roll and forcing him to take jump shots. Missing four of his first five shots prevented him from finding an early rhythm. He was only 5-for-11 from the field with eight points in the paint, and had only one hit and one false hit in the second game. He was 11-for-19 with 18 points in the paint and eight foul shots in the game. 1.
Every player has a bad game. It is the predictability in which Davis has a storyline that will be a pivotal storyline in the series.
Much will be made about Davis playing 44 minutes in the first game and coming back two days later without much energy. But that’s the nature of this series – every day until a team wins four. There are no extra days off as in other series.
pressure on Davis. After the first game, LeBron James said, “The Lakers franchise over the years, over the course of their existence, has always had dominant big men, dominant men who were a force in the rim. That’s why their jerseys were in the rafters. The two insiders will be there when it’s over.” from playing.”
Golden State made amends to even out the series, and the Lakers still left San Francisco with a split, a goal of the road team at the start of the series. Now it’s the Lakers’ turn to make adjustments, including on the defensive level, as the series moves to Los Angeles for the next two games.
James will do his thing, but the Lakers are at their best when Davis is around 25 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
It’s early in the series, but a lot of the outcome depends on the Davis-Lakers going from game to game.
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This article originally appeared in the USA TODAY: The act of Anthony Davis’ disappearance must stop if the Lakers are to advance