Anthony Davis was the best player on floor as the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of their series in the second round. In game 2? Not so much. The big star made just 11 points and seven rebounds in a 27-point burst. It was the Lakers’ biggest loss of the season, and Davis’ poor performance took center stage.
So what was behind it? According to Davis, a combination of bad shooting luck and good Warriors adjustments. “I got the same shots I did in Game 1, but I just missed them,” Davis said. “Elbow jumpers, pocket passes to the floater, exactly the same look, didn’t shoot a shot I didn’t shoot in Game 1, just missed them. As Bron said, they made adjustments, shot the ball extremely well from 3. We’ll be better, I’ll be better off getting those shots. Go back home on our home field and take care of business.”
The recording cards pretty much confirm what Davis had to say. His shots landed in the same places. He just didn’t make them. Much credit for that belongs to Draymond Green. After Kevon Looney took the Davis assignment for most of Game 1, Green defended Davis for most of Game 2. The former defensive player of the year was outstanding, and it shows in the box score.
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Exhaustion may also have played a role in the down night. Davis needed 44 minutes to secure a Game 1 win for the Lakers. The last time he did that for the Lakers was in a December game against the Celtics. In their next game, Davis suffered an injury that kept him out for a month. He’s not used to playing that many minutes, and it seemed to affect him in Game 2.
The Lakers got what they needed from their trip to San Francisco. They stole home field advantage with their Game 1 win, and they got a look at Golden State’s first set of adjustments. Now it’s up to them to adapt as the series returns to Los Angeles. The Lakers haven’t lost this postseason at their home building, and if Davis has anything to say about it, that won’t change in Game 3.