After winning five of seven games and showing signs of life, the Los Angeles Lakers took a step back on Monday when they were trounced, 135-119, by the Houston Rockets, a team they definitely should’ve beaten without much trouble.
They took the court again on Tuesday versus the Atlanta Hawks, but they would have to play without Anthony Davis, who was out due to hip spasms.
Head coach Darvin Ham decided to start Jaxson Hayes, who has played sparingly of late, in Davis’ place instead of Christian Wood, who has played fairly well over the last few weeks.
Before the opening tip, Wood posted a cryptic tweet that seemed to hint he was unhappy about not starting.
Lol
— 35 (@Chriswood_5) January 31, 2024
Wood played relatively well, scoring nine efficient points and grabbing eight rebounds in 22 minutes. But the Lakers lost again, 138-122.