While swirling trade rumors involving D’Angelo Russell and Dejounte Murray, the Los Angeles Lakers recently clashed with the Atlanta Hawks. What could have been a dual event of scouting the Hawks’ guard and securing a victory turned out to be another disappointing loss. Despite speculations of resting for the game, LeBron James ended up playing the heaviest minutes for the Lakers. In doing that, he nearly achieved a triple-double with 20 points, 8 assists, and 9 rebounds. D’Angelo contributed 9 points while struggling with a 3-11 shooting performance. On the other hand, Murray surged ahead with an impressive 24 points and 9 assists.

As the Hawks sealed an easy 122-138 victory, the absence of Anthony Davis was felt. Davis’ absence marks the third of this season. Near the tip-off, Davis was sidelined due to complaints of left hip issues and sore Achilles., Jaxson Hayes took the starting position, contributing 6 points and 6 rebounds. The Lakers’ scoring was spearheaded by Austin Reaves, who led the team with 28 points.

After the dismal display on both ends of the court, the team tumbled to one game below .500, marking their 25th loss in the season. The Lakers were feeling the void left by AD, with a stuttering offense with little to no reliability, while the defense struggled to put a damper on the soaring Hawks. From the start, the Hawks took the lead with a 36-29 quarter establishing a 67-56 lead at halftime. Although the Lakers improved their offense in the second half, the Hawks had an answer for every run, maintaining control throughout the game.

Read More – Savannah’s “Girl Therapy” in Bathtub Grabs Hubby LeBron James’ Attention

Anthony Davis could have changed things for the Lakers

Despite shooting the ball better than the Hawks, the Lakers found trailed because the Hawks attempted 11 more shots than the purple and gold. This disparity resulted from the absence of a dominant presence in the paint. Nevertheless, the Lakers managed to level the playing field by matching the Hawks with 66 points near the basket. However, their struggle to secure rebounds became apparent, with the Hawks outpacing them with a 46-37 rebounding edge. Adding to their woes, the Hawks intensified the void by grabbing 12 offensive rebounds along the way.

Furthermore, the absence of an anchor in the paint compelled the Lakers to heavily rely on the three-point game. They attempted more three-pointers than in their recent double-overtime game against the Golden State Warriors.

Watch This Story – LeBron James Exposes In-Season Tournament Final Rivals Endorsing Bizzare “Vegas Curse”

Carrying the weight of the loss, the Lakers now face the daunting task of taking on the best team in the league, the Boston Celtics. Given their recent performances, it is evident that they will need Anthony Davis more than ever to stand their ground.