On Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ playoff hopes suffered another damaging blow as they lost 124-114 against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at the Crypto.com Arena. The loss ended their two-game winning streak and extended their winless run against the Nuggets to eight games. This was their third loss to Denver this season, securing a season series win over LA for the defending champions.
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While the win soured the mood, the Lakers did have a moment to celebrate. Superstar LeBron James added another feather to his cap by becoming the first player to score 40,000 regular season points. The veteran forward did it in typical fashion, calling an iso and bullying his way to the basket before banking his shot off the backboard. During the post-game press conference, James’ teammate Anthony Davis was asked about the four-time MVP’s incredible achievement. He had a witty response, quipping,
“You know I just told him in the locker room, like, one: he might have to stop breaking records because we always lose anytime he breaks a record. He said the same thing.”
Davis’ joke referenced the night James surpassed Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The veteran forward hit a sensational fadeaway jumper to become the first player to pass the Hall of Famer’s points tally almost 34 years after his final regular season game.
However, despite James’ 38-point outing on the night, the Lakers lost 133-130 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. And now, for the second straight year, the Lakers superstar’s historic night has been soiled by his team’s mediocre performance. James is undoubtedly overjoyed about his accomplishment. However, he would’ve enjoyed it more had his team beaten the Nuggets and ended their losing streak against the defending champions.
Anthony Davis’ awful outings on LeBron James’ historic nights
When LeBron James hit the fadeaway jumper against OKC and surpassed Kareem, everyone in attendance at the Crypto.com Arena was on their feet clapping, cheering, and bowing their head to honor the Lakers superstar. However, Anthony Davis cut a frustrated figure on the bench and was among the few not on their feet.
Post-game, he explained that he was upset about the Lakers trailing in a critical game for their playoff hopes. Davis was probably also irked by his performance. He finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and two assists in a game that the Lakers lost by three points. Had Davis performed marginally better, James’ historic night wouldn’t have been sullied with a loss.
The same can be said about Davis’ performance against the Nuggets. He scored an underwhelming 17 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished two assists. He was tasked with slowing down Nikola Jokic but failed miserably. The two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists to lead his team to a 10-point win and dampen the day James surpassed the 40,000 points mark.
Had Davis stepped up on either night, he wouldn’t have had to joke about James needing to stop breaking records. The four-time MVP will continue setting new marks. Davis needs to pull up his socks and perform better to ensure his memorable nights are foiled by losses.
