Getty Images Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Anthony Davis declined to speak to the media following the Los Angeles Lakers 114-100 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
Davis had a decent stat line with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the loss but the All-Star big man disappeared in the second half for a second straight game. He took just two shots and scored two points over the final two quarters as the Lakers saw their halftime lead evaporate in a hurry.
Anthony Davis declined to speak to the media postgame.
That was coming off a performance against the Jazz where he scored just two points on four shots in a 130-116 loss. He did speak after that loss, saying he needs to be more assertive with his role on the offensive end of the court.
“I need to be demanding the ball. Had some good looks, missed them,” Davis said. “I can’t allow myself to go four, five or six minutes without getting a shot, whether I start hot or not.”
Anthony Davis Scoffed at for Saying Teams ‘Fear’ Lakers
Davis took some extra heat for the disappearing act for a quote he dropped prior to the matchup against the Cavs, saying teams still “fear” the Lakers despite their record.
“We have a lot of guys that teams have to worry about. We’re not the team that our record shows. But any given night our team can play very well and explode,” Davis said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I know teams fear us, for sure.”
Davis was called out on social media for the comments following the loss to the Cavs.
“Wait I thought teams feared the Lakers. That’s so funny absolutely ZERO teams fear them,” one fan wrote.
Davis will have to turn up the aggression if he wants that fear he’s referencing to be real. The Lakers dropped to 2-7 with the loss. Davis hasn’t been 100% healthy but is averaging 23.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks this season.
Westbrook: Not Sure Whose Job it is to Get AD More Touches
Russell Westbrook (19 pts, 10 ast) reflects on his performance against the Cavs.
Russell Westbrook did speak to the media after the game and was asked about Davis’ second-half struggles. The veteran guard wasn’t sure how to remedy the situation and said he leaves it up to the coaches to dictate the offensive direction.
“I don’t know whose primary job it is to do that, to be honest. I leave that up to the coaches to figure out the best way to utilize,” Westbrook told reporters. “When I’m in, I try to do the best job I can to make the right reads and make the game easy for him.”
Westbrook did agree that it is something that needs to be stressed.
“With the talent AD has, collectively, we have to figure out ways to utilize him more. But I leave that up to the coaches,” he said.
LeBron James did his best to try to pick up the Lakers late but it wasn’t enough. He also stressed that the game plan should feature a heavy dose of AD at every point in the game.
“Our focal point is and should always be to make sure he touches the ball throughout the course of possessions, quarters, halves and so on,” James said.
The Lakers will face the Jazz Monday for the second half of a back-to-back with a chance to get back on track.