Wednesday night was a significant game for Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers as they faced off against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. It was essentially a must-win for L.A. that had playoff seeding implications as the purple and gold could have moved closer to moving out of the Play-In Tournament.
Things looked promising as the Lakers took an early 19-point lead in the first quarter, but all momentum shifted towards the Kings in the second quarter. Sacramento outscored L.A. 44-20, missing only four shots in the quarter and taking a 15-point lead at halftime.
The Lakers made some runs to cut the lead, but the Kings were in control ever since they took the advantage, a troubling sign of how quickly the game turned. After a strong defensive game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, that effort was thrown out the window as Sacramento scored at will. Davis believed the team’s defensive strategies allowed De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk to get hot, making it impossible to stop them once they got going.
“It was a game we needed,” Davis said. “We started with energy on both ends of the floor, but that second quarter changed everything. Our defensive approach allowed De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk to do whatever they wanted, dominate in the paint. If I helped, Sabonis was wide open. They did a good job exploiting our defense.”
To go from being in control in the first quarter to trailing by double digits in a flash was disheartening for Davis. He shared how quickly the momentum shifted.
“It’s frustrating,” he admitted. “Especially in a must-win game like this. We were a game-and-a-half behind them, so we needed this win and then to face them again next week. It would have been huge for us.”
In a game the Lakers desperately needed to gain ground as teams ahead of them lost, it was a missed opportunity. However, Davis believes the team is still in a good position as the regular season winds down.
“We’re okay,” Davis said. “We understand the importance of seeding. Every game counts. I think we’re in a good spot.”
It’s a tough loss for the Lakers, who have been playing well recently. This defeat may solidify their position in another Play-In appearance. With 18 games left, getting into the top six is becoming more challenging after this missed opportunity.
Even though the setback on Wednesday was painful, the purple and gold will still have an opportunity to advance to the postseason by using the Play-In once more. Although Davis emphasised that they are not concerned about their postseason seeding or the opponents they will face in the tournament or playoffs, this is a period when keeping an eye on the standings becomes crucial.
