Lakers final stretch filled with headache, nausea and dimming hopes
Bill Plaschke April 10, 2024 Headache. Nausea.
The two words were uttered Tuesday night to describe the condition of a certain Laker.
The two words could also describe the reaction of their fans.
Headache. Nausea.
In the final hours before tipoff against the Golden State Warriors
on
Tuesday
night
at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers announced that Anthony Davis was going to miss the game
with because of
a headache and nausea.
Davis is their most important player. This was going to be, thus far, their most important game.
It was an absence of monumental proportions. It became a loss of dreadful ramifications.
The Warriors’ 134-120 victory was thus defined by the symptoms that scuttled the mission.
The two words have placed the season on a tightrope.
Headache. Nausea.
The Lakers now enter their final two games precariously balancing above disaster, needing to win on the road at Memphis and New Orleans
and then hope while hoping
for help to avoid ending as the 10th seed.
The 10th seed is the death seed. The Lakers finish there, theyre probably finished, because that means theyll have to win two road games in the play-in tournament to qualify for the
first round of theactual
playoffs.
Does anybody believe they could actually do that?
Win two do-or-die games for a team that suddenly feels like its already half-dead? Survive two must-win games for a team that just blew two must-win games because their two fragile stars couldnt get on the court?
On Sunday, they lost to Minnesota after LeBron James missed the game
with because of
flu-like symptoms and Davis
left exited
in the first quarter after he was socked in the left eye.
On Tuesday, James returned to score 33 points, but this time it was Davis who didnt play while suffering from what were apparently another set of flu-like symptoms.
Because he had been hit in the eye
on
Sunday, it was natural to wonder whether the headache and nausea were caused by a concussion, but the Lakers insisted he was not in the concussion protocol.
So, apparently, he was
just
sick.
Yeah, everyone knows what everyone is thinking, but lets briefly push pause on the cynicism.
Without more detailed information, it feels unfair to immediately diagnose this as yet another case of “AD Frailty.” This has, after all, been the season when Davis has overcome the injury stigma, the season when hes finally been tough enough.
Before Tuesday, Davis had played in 74 of 79
possible
games, his most as a Lakers and on pace to be his most games ever
(he played in 75 games in back-to-back seasons with New Orleans)
. Hes played with a nagging hip. Hes played with all sorts of bumps and bruises. Hes played hard and hes played hurt.
And besides, nobody questioned James when he was sick with what might have been the same flu bug on Sunday, right?
But, still
Davis cant escape his past, and while it
may might
not be fair, he will probably not be able to elude the perception that he should have tried to play.
The
is
only thing for certain
:is,
When Davis doesnt play, the Lakers are a vastly different team a noticeably worse team a losing team.
Its almost pretty much impossible to make up for what he provides for our ballclub, both offensively and defensively, said James.
On Tuesday, the Lakers task was, well, almost pretty much impossible.
Offensively, Rui Hachimura and DAngelo Russell were required to have big games, and didnt, combining to go 10-for-32.
YetBut
defensively is where Davis loss was truly felt, as the Lakers had to sag toward the middle to compensate for his gaping absence, thus leaving the Warriors free to essentially play the game from the three-point line.
And goodness, did they ever,
hitting making
26 treys, the most ever allowed by the Lakers. The Warriors sank them on 41 tries, a 63.4
%percent
clip, the highest shooting percentage in a game with as many as 26 three-point
ers attempts
in NBA history.
Youll never guess who went five-for-five
shooting
on three-point attempts in the first half alone. Yeah, one Draymond Green.
They were blazing hot, said Lakers coach Darvin Ham. Blazing, blazing hot.
Green told reporters it was more than the presence of heat. It was the absence of Davis.
Its different when its AD out there, he said. He can cover up so many mistakes. Its a totally different look for them when hes out there.
Will Davis return in time for Fridays seemingly gimme game against the injury-racked Memphis Grizzlies? If hes truly suffering from the flu and not feeling side effects from Sundays whack in the head, one would assume hed be back.
But even if they beat Memphis, theyll have to win again in the season finale Sunday in New Orleans against a Pelicans
team that is fighting for a sixth seed.
And lets say the Lakers win both games. Theyre still not assured of avoiding the play-in basement, as surging Golden State would tie them with wins against Portland, New Orleans and Utah.
And by virtue of their 3-1 head-to-head record against the Lakers, the Warriors own the tiebreaker.
Indeed, in front of an ultimately glum crowd, Anthony Davis missed a pretty big Tuesday night.
We don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves, said Ham. We gotta get our bootstraps together and get back on the drawing board, look at the film and try to make the best of these last two games.
And to think, it was just last weekend that they manhandled the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers and had etched a path out of the play-in
tournament
.
Two games later, their true selves have once again emerged, This is a team with two physically unreliable superstars. This is a team in trouble.
Its a difficult situation, but its not impossible, said Ham, later adding, You’re a true competitor, then you’ll make the best of a tough situation. So I expect us to do that.”
Headache. Nausea.
Everywhere.
