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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The Los Angeles Lakers’ tumultuous season hit another low on Saturday night, as Utah Jazz defeated them. This firmly marked their sixth loss out of eight. While the Lakers were without LeBron James because of his ankle injury, they hoped Anthony Davis would step up to take his place. Still, Davis hit a triple-double scoring 15 points.

Davis takes the blame as Lakers falter

In a candid post-game interview with Spectrum Sportsnet, Davis took full responsibility for the defeat, asserting, “Everyone did their job except me… I didn’t do my job. Obviously, when Bron is out, everybody has to step up, and those guys did, except myself. So this one is on me.”

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Davis faced a good night, and some of the Lakers’ supporting players came through. D’Angelo Russell demonstrated his scoring ability in a 39-point game and Austin Reaves added another 19 points. Though they tried their best, the Lakers just could not beat the Jazz.

Now sitting at 19-21 in 11th place in the Western Conference, The Lakers are faced with a critical moment in their season. So far, the partnership of James and Davis has not panned out to be a success story, and immediate changes are required to make it into the playoffs. However, in the absence of James, Davis needs to step up his performance.

Davis’ triple-double can’t halt Lakers slide setback in LeBron’s absence

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Although Anthony Davis put up a triple-double in an attempt to beat the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered humiliation on their rivals’ home court. With LeBron James sidelined due to an ankle injury, Davis got on board and recorded a 39-31 lead in their favor after one quarter Instead, the determined comeback by the Jazz culminated in a 132-125 loss for the Lakers.

Read More: “He Really Care About Basketball”: Ex-Laker Hails LeBron James’ Work Ethic While Describing the Pressure of Playing in Los Angeles

Davis performed well in the first half but failed to sustain this momentum once the second half began; he concluded the game with 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. However, his overall efficiency declined as well, shooting only 23.8% (5-of-21) from the field and committing six turnovers.

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The defeat marks the Lakers’ second consecutive loss, dropping their season record to 19-21, positioning them in 11th place in the competitive Western Conference. Redeeming themselves the Lakers look forward to making a comeback on Monday when they play OKC Thunder at home. However, Anthony Davis remains the Lakers’ leading scorer, rebounder, and blocker this NBA season despite the difficulties, reflecting his elemental value to the team.

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