Los Angeles Lakers faced Indiana Pacers on Friday night. The struggling Lakers desperately needed a win here to move ahead in the competition as a 13th-ranked team. Meanwhile, the Lakers underperformed in the first half as usual and trailed in halftime. However, last-minute heroics from Anthony Davis helped the LA Lakers edge past Indiana Pacers in a last seconds thriller game.
Meanwhile, after the game, Anthony Davis received appreciation from all around the world. But the most prominent applause came in from his teammate, LeBron James. He addressed the media after the game and spoke highly of Anthony Davis. King LeBron praised the defensive side of Davis, which in fact, helped the Lakers gain that one-point lead in the final seconds.
LeBron James Calls Anthony Davis The Best Defensive Player Of The Year
LeBron James and Anthony Davis
Lakers center forward, Anthony Davis, has developed himself from a striker to an all-around player. As a result, when AD was sitting on the bench for five weeks due to a foot injury, the Lakers missed AD, the defender. While LeBron James led the scoring part, the Lakers lagged in defensive blocks, which led to the team\’s consecutive defeats. However, now that Davis is back, the purple and gold are back on their feet.
Anthony Davis ruled the game against the Pacers from both ends of the court. AD recorded 31 points, 14 rebounds, and two assists. Moreover, Davis made a successful last-second clutch block which helped the Lakers maintain the lead. Further, speaking to the media, LeBron James referred to Anthony Davis as the best defensive player of the year. King James further added the team feels highly confident when AD plays on the back line as they have too much faith in Davis\’ defensive skills.
\”He\’s (AD) a Defensive Player of the Year player,\” says LeBron James.
Despite AD\’s Comeback, The Lakers Fail To Find The Lost Form
After Anthony Davis suffered from a foot injury in December, the Lakers found themselves in deep waters as AD was playing at an MVP level at the time of injury. Moreover, after a five-week long break, AD returned back on the court. The Lakers fans hoped for a change in fortune after AD\’s return. However, the Lakers could not find their old form back as the team kept prolonging their losing streaks.
Earlier, the Lakers had the excuse of missing players. But now, as most of the roster is back fully fit, the Lakers are running out of reason to justify the team\’s performance. On top of that, rather than admitting to the fact that the team is underperforming, the Lakers have now found a new way to evade criticism. The Lakers accused the NBA of biasness after a few no-call decisions went against them. At the end of the day, everything else will go to dust if the team fails to clinch the playoff berth. Hence, the team needs to pull up their socks now.