Anthony Davis
via Los Angeles Times) Source: Los Angeles Times
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The Lakers are on the verge of turning the table upside down in the Western Conference. They have a good chance of getting to the top ten to make the postseason. But the franchise will lose everything if they don’t fully use the opportunity they have. The LA side comparatively has a bunch of easy games to finish the regular season. Hence, it is kind of a make-or-break phase for the Lakers. After LeBron James sustained a tendon injury and eventually got ruled out for several games, the onus was on Anthony Davis. AD was performing exceedingly well in the last few games. Plus, D’Angelo Russell returning after an ankle injury was an added bonus, as he made an impact right away.

Lakers Missed A Good Chance Against The Rockets

D'Angelo Russell Lakers
D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers, Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

Other players in the lineup, like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Wenyen Gabriel, and so on, were on song in the previous games. Especially against the Pelicans when the Lakers enjoyed a thumping victory. But the problem with the team is that they don’t manage to continue the winning streak. Everybody knows how vital a streak is to confirm their place in the top ten. Houston Rockets are the last seed in the Western Conference. Before the game against the Rockets, only 13 games were remaining for the Los Angeles franchise.

   

The LA side needed to beat the weakest side of the table in the most comprehensive way possible to better their chances. But as an utter shock, the Rockets beat the visitors 114-110 on their court. Naturally, this defeat did not stand well with the LA fans. Some have expressed their wishes for the return of the King as soon as possible. Only 12 games to go, but the Lakers have not yet managed to hold on to a streak. Suddenly, the easy games no longer look like “piece of cake” games.

Fans Expressed Their Disappointment On Twitter

On the other hand, the Warriors lost to the Clippers. The Los Angeles franchise was only two games behind Stephen Curry’s side. So they should have capitalized on the Warrior’s defeat. The Warriors are the 6th seed in the conference, whereas the Lakers are the 10th. Currently, the Warriors are 36-34. On the other hand, the LA side is 34-36. It is still very close, and Darvin Ham‘s side should not let it go. The Los Angeles franchise for sure missed the presence of Anthony Davis, who was not playing because it was a back-to-back game. D’lo Russell led the side, but the Rockets stayed more than 10 points ahead of the visitors most of the game.

Darvin Ham Anthony Davis Lakers
AD and Darvin Ham Lakers

Even without Davis and James, it was a more or less a sure-shot win game, but the Lakers missed the chance. It is clear that without AD, it is not possible for the LA side to get over the line. Fans made it clear on Twitter what this loss means to them. But perhaps the coach and the management are also correct from their perspective to not put too much stress on AD’s feet as it is still an active injury. However, the Houston game has proved that with only a little more than ten games to go, the Los Angeles side cannot afford to take many chances. The LA side cannot hold on without either James or Davis.