The Lakers did not give themselves a chance in an important game against the Mavericks. Los Angeles, without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, went down by 18 points in the first quarter and never came close to their opponents.
After the game Lakers head coach admitted that his team lacks talent when James and Davis are out. “With those guys out (LeBron James and Anthony Davis), we’re at a talent deficit, so the focus and execution has to make up for it,” he said.
“This is just the latest dose of adversity that this year’s team has faced. Obviously, we’ve been playing some really good basketball of late, really moving the basketball, playing for each other offensively, competing on the defensive side.
“When you lose ‘Bron, okay, you have to adjust yet again throughout a season of setbacks. We have to find footing. You hope to find footing right away when something like that happens. We didn’t find it in the second half the other night (against the Pelicans). We certainly didn’t find it tonight.”
The loss pushed the Lakers below the play-in zone. They are now in eleventh place in the Western Conference, overtaken by the Spurs.
