Lakers star fires team despite victory over Raptors: ‘Unacceptable’

Anthony Davis was not thrilled after his victory Los Angeles Lakers On Saturday night, they picked up their fourth win of the season over the Toronto Raptors.

Davis is a former 2020 NBA champion. He achieved a lot in the league. Winning is always desired for a player of his caliber and at this stage of his career it is expected. This is especially true for a rebuilding team like the 1-5 Raptors. But when his 4-2 Lakers allowed the Raptors to rally from a huge 45-19 deficit early in the second quarter and narrowly win by a score of 131-125, the Kentucky product made his displeasure known.

Lakers’ Anthony Davis blasts team and calls Raptors win ‘unacceptable’

In his post-match on-court interview, Davis did not speak highly of the victory, instead expressing that his high expectations for the team were not met as the team carried expectations of a championship this year, saying: (h/t Ricardo Sandoval of the Los Angeles Lakers on SI):

“Shocking. Yes, we won and we will definitely win because it’s hard to win in this league, especially away, but we have a long way to go to where we want to be,” Davis said.

“Having that big lead that gives them 31 points, I think 31 in the second, 38 in the third, so if we’re going to do something this season based on goals or aspirations, we can’t let that happen defensively. “

In their last victory, the Lakers were outplayed by the Raptors in several departments

As a team, Los Angeles shot a disappointing 34.4 percent from three-point range. They allowed Toronto to outrebound them 44-43, assist 35-29 and score in the paint battle by 10 points.

Strong individual contributions from the Lakers helped them narrowly win

Individually, the Lakers once again got MVP honors from Davis, posting a monster double-double of 38 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 70% from the field. He received help from other starters as D’Angelo Russell, in particular, emerged from his early season slump with 19 points on 7-13 shooting from the floor, finishing with a team-high plus-14 in the game.

LeBron James had a classic performance with 27 points and 10 assists, and Austin Reaves continued his breakout campaign with 20 points and six dimes. However, they allowed Raptors star RJ Barrett to score 33 points and 12 assists while Gradey Dick dropped 31 points, all without franchise player Scottie Barnes in the lineup.

The Lakers will look to solve their problems in their next game against the Pistons

Therefore, Lakers will win, as Davis said, but against a team that should have been fielded with no chance of a comeback and one that was undermanned, surviving with a six-point victory is as much anxiety-inducing as it is encouraging. The Lakers have a major bench scoring problem that has yet to be resolved. Their second unit combined for 18 points in this match, and as a whole the team had its ups and downs, despite looking like real title contenders on their best day.

They’ll be looking to get an outstanding win in nicer fashion behind Davis when Los Angeles next faces the rebuilding Detroit Pistons on Monday night.