WATCH: LeBron James perplexed at Darvin Ham’s choice to leave Anthony Davis on the court with 3 fouls
LeBron James couldn't keep the confused look off his face when LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham persisted with Anthony Davis despite the big's three fouls halfway into the game vs the Indiana Pacers at the Crypto.com Arena.
It all went down in the second quarter, with the Lakers leading 63-21 with two minutes left in the quarter. Ham subbed James in while leaving Davis out on the floor.
This had the 4x NBA champion wear a perplexed look as he checked with the center with the fouls he had. In the end, Davis did stay on the floor, and LA survived a scare to win the contest 150-145.
You can watch a confused James below:
However, LA prevailed in the end, as Davis led with 36 points and 16 rebounds. LeBron James had 26 points, six rebounds, and 11 assists.
Spencer Dinwiddie had a field day and his career-high with the Lakers with 26 points, two rebounds, and five assists. Austin Reaves, who shot free throws in abundance in the final few minutes of the game, ended with 21 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.
What does the win mean for LeBron James and the LA Lakers?
LeBron James and the Lakers finished a tough homestand with a win and are now 39-32 to stay ninth in the West. They will now hit the road for a six-game away trip starting with the Milwaukee Bucks at the Fiserv Forum.
The next slate of games is a challenge for LA who will hope that they can capitalize on the momentum they have gained in the three games they have won.
Furthermore, the Purple and Gold will be bolstered by the return of D'Angelo Russell. The guard was a late scratch before tip-off with a non-COVID illness.
James, Davis, and Russell are the Lakers' big three this season, with additional firepower coming in the form of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
The 20X NBA All-Star has been a force at 39, averaging 25.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. His last five games have seen him average 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists in 61 games this season.
Davis has played a major chunk of his games so far, averaging 24.6 points and 12.4 rebounds, while Russell is propping 18.0 points and 6.3 assists.
The Lakers win on Sunday gives LeBron James and co. some breathing space between them and the tenth-placed Golden State Warriors. Only time will tell if a string of wins will help the Purple and Gold finish better than the ninth.