The Los Angeles Lakers have had a challenging schedule for much of December, and so far, they haven’t handled it well.
After winning the in-season tournament on Dec. 9 over the Indiana Pacers, they have dropped four games in a row and five of their last six, giving them a 15-14 record. Their latest setback came on Thursday when, without LeBron James, they competed but lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves by seven points.
Los Angeles’ schedule isn’t getting easier. It will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, owners of the Western Conference’s second-best record, on Saturday. The Thunder recently routed L.A., 133-110, on Nov. 30.
Anthony Davis said after Thursday’s loss that Saturday’s contest needs to be treated as a must-win game (h/t Lakers Nation).
"I think overall our effort was there tonight.. It sucks to lose. No moral victories, no one is going to feel sorry for us. We're not feeling sorry for ourselves, just gotta figure it out." Anthony Davis on the Lakers fourth straight loss. pic.twitter.com/dZqhr6QyZO
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 22, 2023
“It’s the NBA season,” Davis said when asked to assess his team. “There’s going to be ups, there’s going to be downs. Right now we’re in that down period with us losing four in a row. Obviously we know the team we can be. … We just got to get back to winning. It’s that simple. But obviously in an NBA season there’s gonna be some ups and downs. We just got to continue to fight and continue to play hard. Play with some effort, some energy and we’re treating Saturday as a must-win.”
Despite the incessant criticism he receives, Davis has been showing leadership lately. In December, he’s averaging 28.3 points and 12.6 rebounds a game, which doesn’t include his 41-point, 20-rebound effort in the in-season tournament title game.
His perimeter shot has been on point, and he has even shot 5-of-11 from 3-point range in December.