Lakers routed by Trail Blazers after Anthony Davis exits because of stomach illness
The text came from the Lakers about 45 minutes before they tipped off against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.
“AD is a go,” the text said, referring to Anthony Davis playing while dealing with a sprained right thumb he suffered Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center.
Then another text from the team came with 9:19 left in the second quarter that Davis was out for the rest of the game because of a stomach illness.
The Lakers went meekly the rest of the way, falling behind by as many as 34 points in the third quarter, their effort lacking in every way of a 105-90 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Before Davis left, he had missed four of his five shots and had scored two points to go with three rebounds.
The Lakers’ defensive rating fell to 27th in the 30-team NBA after blowing a 19-point lead in a loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday.
That left the Lakers with only one of their Big Three, Russell Westbrook, because LeBron James was sitting on the bench because of a strained abdominal.
By halftime, the Lakers were not looking good, trailing the Trail Blazers 51-36.
The Lakers shot just 27.3% from the field in the first half and 20% (two for 10) from three-point range.
Carmelo Anthony started in place of Davis in the third quarter.
Davis had been out on the Moda Center court “testing out the thumb” before the game, Lakers coach Frank Vogel told reporters.
Because he has struggled with injuries throughout his career and has been painted by some as injury-prone, Davis worked all summer to get his body right.
He sat out 36 games of the NBA’s 72-game schedule last season because of a calf and Achilles’ injury. He dealt with a left groin and left knee injury during the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns.
That motivated Davis to do all he could to be available for his teammates.
“I know this year he’s very upset with how last year went and how much time he missed,” Vogel said. “So, everything that’s 50-50 whether to be in or out thus far this year, it’s been, ‘I’m playing unless I absolutely can’t play.’ He’s just not happy with how much time he missed last year. So, if he can play without major limitations, he’s going to be in there.”
Portland hires an outside firm to investigate workplace environment concerns after reports surface of allegations involving GM Neil Oshey.
Davis didn’t have his thumb taped the way he did in the second half of the Thunder game after he was injured. But he played only seven minutes, nine seconds because of the illness.
Losing Davis meant the Lakers no longer had their big lineup available with DeAndre Jordan starting at center.
In Vogel’s view, having Davis and Jordan together still makes them competitive on defense, even while playing against Portland’s dangerous backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
“The big lineup just gives us AD on the backside,” Vogel said. “That’s the biggest thing I like about that. We’re going to have to double-team a guard on the perimeter or even in half court the way Dame sometimes commands. To have that type of length behind the defense favors us.”
When the Lakers decided to go small against the Houston Rockets last week and started Davis at center, it meant Jordan became a reserve.
He had started the first six games, came off the bench for the next two and now has started the last two.
Jordan was asked how his mental approach changes from being a starter to a reserve.
“I don’t think it can, man. I think my job is the same whether I’m coming off the bench, whether I’m starting,” Jordan said. “My job for this team is to be able to defend as best as I can and run the floor, change and alter shots, be a defensive anchor for us and get our playmakers open.”
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