Anthony Davis opens up on taking accountability after strong performance against Pelicans - "I'm my hardest critic"
LA Lakers superstar Anthony Davis shared a positive sentiment following the win on Tuesday night. Coming off a rather disappointing outing against the New York Knicks, Davis shared his thoughts on his improved performance against the Pelicans.
Anthony Davis has been wildly inconsistent with expectations this season. Prior to his injury, Davis looked like one of the best players in the NBA. Following his return, he showed sparks of returning to that level. However, he'd fade just as quickly.
A prime example of this was seen in two recent Lakers games against the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks. After a critically-acclaimed performance against the Memphis Grizzlies, Davis practically became a shell of himself in the next two games.
The Lakers were fortunate enough to walk away with a win against Toronto. However, the loss to New York was heartbreaking.
Although AD was disheartened with his performance in the previous game, he certainly came through for the Purple and Gold on Tuesday. Racking up a huge performance to lead LA to a win, Davis showed flashes of dominance yet again.
While speaking to Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell after the game, Davis shared his thoughts on his performance considering his faded display in the loss to New York. He said:
"Like I said, last game I felt like everybody did their job except myself and that was on me. I wanted to come out and make sure that I got back to myself, got back to a rhythm. Got some extra shots up. See the ball go through the hoop. And I was able to come out and be effective tonight and win."
He added:
"I never want to be able to come out and have a performance like I did the other night against New York and let my team down. I'm my hardest critic. I'm always hard on myself to be better. I just wanted to come out tonight and make a difference."
"Last game everyone did their job except myself and that was on me. I wanted to come out and make sure that I got back to myself, got back to a rhythm." @AntDavis23 chats with @LakersReporter following his 35 PTS against New Orleans. https://t.co/dXVskG1TJa
Anthony Davis certainly made a difference as he racked up 35 points and 17 rebounds against the Pelicans. Embracing his role as the focal point of the team, AD led the Lakers to a much-needed win.
Sitting at 34-35 for the season, the LA Lakers find themselves in a three-way tie for the eighth spot. With only two games left out of the sixth spot, the Lakers will look to rack up some more wins moving forward.
Anthony Davis to miss the next game
While the LA Lakers will ride the momentum of Anthony Davis' huge performance on Tuesday, the Purple and Gold may be in some trouble for their next game. As per Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, AD will not be available for the game against the Houston Rockets.
The game against the Rockets is a back-to-back fixture. Considering that Davis is fresh off of an injury, the Lakers organization made the decision to rest him in these situations.
This could have a drastic impact on their ability to win. Houston is a relatively inexperienced team, however, they have length and size. Additionally, with a tremendous star-caliber center in Alperen Sengun, the Lakers could have a tough time coming out of this one with a win.
Read: Anthony Davis reflects on not being able to play back-to-backs after being ruled out against Houston: "It's tough... It's still an active injury"
Anthony Davis admits “it’s tough” to not be cleared for B2Bs like Houston tomorrow. Even though it feels pain-free, his stress reaction an active injury. “You want to go out and play but at the end of the day with an injury like that, you don’t want it to go to the other side.” https://t.co/cilfWgQdWo