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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Disappointments mount for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they succumbed to yet another loss. The LeBron James-less team took on the in-form Utah Jazz on Saturday and fell short in a 132-125 loss. A lot of criticisms were thrown at the players, and most of it was directed at Anthony Davis for not stepping up for the side. However, the team’s star point guard, Austin Reaves came to his rescue with a stern statement.

A lot was expected from the Lakers after their last season run. The LA side started well with In-season Tournament glory. But, since then, the team has suffered all kinds of lows. Currently staying afloat in the 11th seed, they have a lot to prove to even claim a sot in the post-season.

Austin Reaves steps up for Anthony Davis

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The team stepped on the court with a lot of responsibilities resting on Anthony Davis‘ shoulder as LeBron James was out. AD has averaged around 26 points this season and delivered only half of it tonight. The Jazz set out a double defense on AD, putting him in an uncomfortable position to shoot the ball.

He had a poor game shooting ball with a 5-21 FG. Despite that; he dropped a triple-double, scoring 15 points with 15 rebounds and 11 assists.

Following the loss, Reaves addressed the criticisms thrown at AD and backed him by saying, “I thought he played a really good game.” Moreover, he took guard for Davis, anticipating the upcoming stones thrown at him. He added, “Yeah, I mean, I can already see the headlines – ‘AD sucks’ or ‘AD can’t do this, can’t do that’. He had a tough night shooting the ball, other than that, he was fantastic.” 

The Lakers take on the lethal OKC in their next outing, and will AD respond to his critics with a high-scoring game? Only time will tell, but AD has already responded to his critics with a strong message. Let’s find out about it.

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AD’s response to critics

This isn’t the first time where Anthony Davis has been criticized for his inconsistency in scoring buckets. Despite the noise, he has continued to deliver his service to the Lakers. But last year, he opened up on how he receives the criticisms in his head, as per Bleacher Report. He said, “I’m not on social media and it’s been that way for about four months… I don’t give that s–t any attention.” 

The Lakers were in a similar situation in the last season until they turned up the heat at the end, and almost reached the NBA Finals. Will we get to witness a similar story this season? Only time will tell.

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What do you make of the criticisms thrown at Anthony Davis? Let us know in the comments below.

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