The problems aren’t a mystery. But the solutions? Those haven’t been figured out.
Again, the Lakers were beaten on the offensive glass. Again, the Lakers were careless with the ball. And again, the Lakers were losers on the road, falling to the Miami Heat 108-107 on Monday night.
The Lakers had multiple chances down the stretch, but Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Cam Reddish all missed key three-point shots.
After calling their mistakes against the Orlando Magic on Saturday self-inflicted, the problems Monday were more scattered, the team remaining winless on the road this season.
They could, of course, control the 13 second-chance points they gave up and the 17 turnovers, plenty of which were unforced. The Lakers also could’ve been more composed, D’Angelo Russell’s two technical fouls in the fourth quarter leading to an ejection. The Lakers also were assessed another fourth-quarter technical for a delay of game.
The other major issue was more random, Anthony Davis injuring his hip and finishing the game on the bench after multiple attempts to return.
It’s unclear when the injury occurred, though Davis began grabbing at his upper left leg after challenging a Bam Adebayo jumper late in the second quarter. On the previous offensive possession, Davis stepped awkwardly over Jaime Jaquez Jr., who was diving for a loose ball.
Davis stayed on the court while the Lakers called timeout before slowly walking back to the locker room. The team termed it a “hip spasm,” and after halftime Davis went through warmups and started the second half. But after two minutes, the Lakers star needed to come out of the game, as he continued to limp and was clearly in discomfort.
He went back to the locker room and returned later in the third quarter only to begin grimacing again while he grabbed at his leg. He didn’t return.
The injury comes with the Lakers already significantly hampered.
Rui Hachimura remains in concussion protocol. Jarred Vanderbilt is still doing mostly stationary on-court work as he recovers from a heel injury. Gabe Vincent isn’t with the team on its trip. And Jaxson Hayes, one of the Lakers’ primary back-up big men, wasn’t available because of an ankle injury.
James led the Lakers with 30 points and Reaves had 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
