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MIAMI — Injuries, officiating complaints and no regrets about some high-level looks that didn’t fall down the stretch — there was plenty to talk about Monday after the Lakers lost 108-107 to the Miami Heat.
“I think this is the adversity that we need as a group,” D’Angelo Russell said. “We still had a chance to win the game with guys out, with all the nonsense that was going on, we still had a chance. That’s all you can ask for.”
Here are the five key takeaways from the game:
2
Anthony Davis injury scare
Lakers forward Anthony Davis, right, battles Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo for position during the Lakers’ 108-107 loss Monday night.
(Issac Baldizon / NBAE via Getty Images)
The good news is that Anthony Davis believes he’ll be able to play Wednesday when the Lakers are in Houston to face the Rockets.
The bad news is that Davis was unable to finish against Miami after an adductor muscle spasm near his left hip forced him off the floor on three separate occasions.
It began late in the second quarter when Davis drove to the basket and tried to complete a spin move. It returned early in the third and hampered him again later in the quarter, finally shutting him down after 25 minutes and nine points.
“I’ve been feeling really good,” Davis said postgame. “I think it’s just an awkward play. I felt fine a couple times [when] I did go back in. It just kinda [spasmed] up those two more times. But I’ll be ready to go for Wednesday for sure.”
LeBron James has 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting and Anthony Davis sustains a hip injury in the Lakers’ one-point loss to the Heat in Miami.
Davis said there weren’t any conversations about whether or not he could make the injury worse by trying to play. And despite the sight of Davis limping, grabbing at his leg and grimacing, he said he thinks he’ll be OK.
“I feel confident. I know my body,” Davis said. “Obviously, when you sleep, things can calm down or arise, but I’m very optimistic. Like I said, I got it loose and got it feeling good. Obviously, it just happened, but letting it calm down. Just talking to my trainer, everything’s going to be fine.”
3
Technically, they’re upset
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
First it was Lakers coach Darvin Ham. Then D’Angelo Russell was called for two. Then a delay of game triggered by LeBron James. In a game the Lakers lost by one point, four technical fouls in the second half loomed large.
“I think, the perspective of inconsistency. And even when I got hit with my technical foul, normally .... I’ve been around this league a long time, man. You have a crew chief, supposed to, ya know, along with his counterparts, have the game under control,” Ham said. “And all I want is an explanation sometimes. To not get that for the rest of the game once I got my technical, ya know, Miami plays a physical brand of basketball, but we’re not complaining about how physical they are. We just want balance and consistency, that’s it.”
Ham pointed to James only shooting four free throws despite being in the paint as one area that caught his attention.
The Lakers started their trip with a loss in Orlando. Defensive rebounding, a slow start and some poor shooting were among the reasons.
“The explanations of what they’re telling me are not consistent with what’s actually happening on the floor. When I went for the dunk attempt against Thomas Bryant, he clearly elbowed — like, arm straight across my face,” James recounted. “And I asked him for the explanation — well, one of the refs said that he was straight up, hands straight in the air. Two of the refs said they were blocked and they didn’t see it. One of my transition plays, I was going in transition and got fouled and nobody saw it.
“I just, I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know what to [say]. I’m going over to them respectfully and telling them what’s going on in the plays and I consistently go to the line three or four times a game. Sometimes not even at all, which is weird.”
Russell’s technical fouls came after he complained about a kicked ball violation he thought officials missed. Crew chief James Williams told a pool reporter than Russell made “an overt gesture” for the first technical and received a second for “addressing a game official with vulgarity.”
“Had a lot of opportunities to still win the game as well,” Russell said, declining to directly address the technical. “That’s all you can really ask for. Techs and stuff flying, that kind of controlled the game. We lost by one point .…”
4
Confidence in Cam Reddish
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
Austin Reaves had two good looks and James had another, but the ball wouldn’t fall for the Lakers as they worked their way back from 12 down with eight minutes left in the game and from nine with four left.
The Lakers had chance after chance down the stretch to win with Miami failing to score for the final four minutes. And with one final shot, James drove to the basket before shooting a pass to Cam Reddish in the corner for the game-winner.
He missed.
“One thing about Bron is, ya know, his whole career he’s been killed for making the right play late [in] games instead of shooting. That’s who he is,” Reaves said. “And everybody’s not loved that about him, but that’s who he continues to be. He trusts his teammates. As soon as he walked in the locker room, he dapped everybody up, went straight to Cam and was like ‘Nah, that’s a good shot. A situation like that happens again, gon’ give it right back to you and knock it down.’”
“Just be ready again,” James said of his message to Reddish. “Because there will be many more opportunities. Especially from me. I know I’m going to see two defenders late in games. So, just be ready.”
Lakers star LeBron James says son Bronny could be returning to the court for USC in the near future. “Things are going in the right direction.”
5
Better beginnings
(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
Among the positives for the Lakers in Monday’s loss was a much more competitive first quarter, the team avoiding a double-digit deficit for just the second time this year in the opening frame.
“We just wanted to come out and play well in the first quarter. Everything else was like, let it take care of itself,” Davis said. “Our main focus was the first quarter — can we come out and play well in the first quarter? We did. They made some shots, but I think we did a good job in the first quarter.”
The Lakers and the Heat were tied 33-33 after one, Miami making five of eight from deep to stay with the Lakers.
“Our energy and our effort and our approach to the game ... I think we got off to a better start to start the first quarter.” Russell said. “Obviously, we turned our level of intensity up as things kinda got out of hand. Just finding a way to try and start like that, not being in a hole throughout the game, just trying to play for the full 48 minutes and see where we are, see what we get from that.”
6
Rui Hachimura returning?
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
While forward Rui Hachimura remains in concussion protocols, there’s optimism that he could return as soon as Wednesday against the Rockets.
“It’s coming along, man. It’s coming along,” Ham said pregame. “He’s feeling good about it but still just kind of, ya know, he has some symptoms a little bit, albeit minor. Still, we want to make sure he’s 100% clear in what he’s dealing with before we throw him back out there.”
Hachimura hasn’t played since Oct. 29 in Sacramento.
