LeBron says Lakers facing test without several ‘big pieces’
The Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a brutal four-game trip Friday after being edged by the surging Atlanta Hawks 134-132 in overtime.
Though LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both involved in several late-game miscues that helped the Hawks to the victory, James pointed to a big-picture concern that has led to Los Angeles losing seven of its past nine games, rather than to specific mistakes that occurred down the stretch in Atlanta.
After the Lakers’ bench was outscored 65-17 against the Hawks, James said the team’s lack of depth is being tested. He rattled off the names of Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes — all of whom were inactive Friday night — as players in the “top 11” of the Lakers’ would-be rotation if they were healthy.
“Mismatching with lineups, we’re trying to figure out ways, obviously,” James said. “So it’s very challenging. We don’t have much room for error. … It’s big, big, big, big pieces.”
The biggest absence has been Reaves, who did not play during the 1-3 trip because of a left pelvic bruise and returned to Los Angeles before Friday’s game to receive treatment.
“He’s like a connector for our offense, but he’s also a scorer and a playmaker,” Lakers coach JJ Redick, speaking before Friday’s game, said of Reaves, who has averaged 16.7 points and 4.8 assists per game this season. “He does both. And also, he’s highly competitive and he brings that juice every night.”
Reaves is considered day-to-day heading into Sunday’s home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Hayes has sat out 12 of Los Angeles’ past 13 games because of a right ankle injury and is expected to sit out at least another week. Wood (left knee surgery) and Vanderbilt (right foot surgery and left knee fluid) haven’t played all season. Wood’s timeline remains unclear, and Vanderbilt is aiming to play in early January, according to the Lakers.
Their absences have not only caused the Lakers to rank in the bottom five in bench points this season but also led to Redick shuffling the lineup in search of something that sticks — for instance, starting Gabe Vincent in place of D’Angelo Russell on Friday.
James’ comments came after he and Davis turned in some of their best performances of the season, though Davis had a couple of key miscues in overtime. He had a turnover on a pass to James with 28 seconds left in the extra session that James saved from turning into a bucket by getting a chase-down block on Dyson Daniels and then was involved in a poorly executed inbounds play when Davis was tied up by three Hawks defenders with 19.6 seconds left, leading to a jump ball that James couldn’t corral.
James had 39 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals for his seventh triple-double this season. He was 14-of-25 from the field, including 6-of-11 from 3 after recently struggling with his shot.
Davis had 38 points on 15-for-27 shooting, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks, bouncing back from a season-low eight points on 3-for-14 shooting in Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat.
For his part, Davis said the Lakers have to simply work with what they have for now.
“There’s no cavalry,” Davis said. “No one feels sorry for us. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. Just got to continue to put our head down and grind and work. Try to get back in the win column on Sunday against Portland. … No game’s going to be easy for us, so we got to go take the win.”
Added James: “I don’t know as far as what will get us over the hump. We just got to just not drown. Don’t drown and we’ll be all right.”
