The streaking Los Angeles Lakers were competitive early in Tuesday’s game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers when they got a dose of bad news.
Anthony Davis, who had been on an absolute tear over the last few weeks, left the contest and was ruled out because of flu-like symptoms. Without him, L.A. was up against it the rest of the way against a tall and talented Cavs team.
After falling behind 57-49 at halftime, the Lakers hit the boards hard to make it a very close game in the third quarter. But Cleveland pulled ahead in the fourth period, as it continually attacked them in the paint en route to a 116-102 win.
In the end, Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs’ newest star, killed the Lakers with 43 points on 17-of-27 shooting, while center Jarrett Allen added 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers will play the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, and if Davis is unable to go, they could be in for another tough night.