Anthony Davis missed too many shots, so did D’Angelo Russell and the Lakers missed their opportunity to take a 2-0 series lead with Ja Morant sidelined for the Grizzlies.
— Facing a Grizzlies team missing its superstar in Ja Morant, with a chance to go up 2-0 in their first-round series, Anthony Davis piled up too many missed shots in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 103-93 loss on Wednesday.
« Obviously, I can be better, » Davis said after failing to connect on 10 of his 14 shot attempts and finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in 38 minutes. « Can’t have a night like I had tonight and expect us to win. »
It was a rough outing for Davis, from his 1-for-9 start from the floor in the first half, to the gash he suffered below his right brow from an elbow during a jump ball at the center circle, to the stellar play by the big man lined up against him. Grizzlies center Xavier Tillman had 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting and 13 rebounds — more points than he has scored in any game (regular season or playoffs) in his three-year career.
« Just forcing tough catches, denying him, forcing him off his spot and then crowding the paint and tilting behind him, » Lakers coach Darvin Ham said when asked to explain what Memphis did in holding Davis to about half of his regular-season 25.9 points per game average.
While Davis took the onus for the outcome, he didn’t credit his clanks to the Grizzlies’ defense.
