The defending champions of the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers, have been dumped from the playoffs in the very first round. The team was without a fully fit Anthony Davis in the sixth game of their series against the Phoenix Suns. Game 6 ended with a score of 113-100 in the favour of the Suns.
A Dismal Season For The Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers were hoping to win the NBA title two years consecutively. However, those hopes have now been truly dashed. On Thursday, the medical staff of L.A. had cleared Davis for the game. However, he did not look alright at all, indicating that the groin injury he had sustained in the fourth game is still a problem. In the game’s first few minutes, Davis’ injury flared up once more forcing him to retire early.
Afterward, Davis said that he really wanted to play. His nature to compete was pushing him to give his best for his team. Unfortunately, his body could not keep up.
However, even with a fully fit Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers would still have possibly lost. Devin Booker led his Suns by an astounding shooting performance, picking up 47 points in the game.
The Suns had been victorious in the fifth game by a margin of 30 points. In the sixth game, they led by 29 by the end of the beginning half. The NBA No.1 regular-season defense of the Los Angeles Lakers was picked apart efficiently.
The underdog Suns showed Los Angeles Lakers why they were the second seed in the regular season. Right from Jae Crowder’s first 3-pointer, the Suns blasted through every time while attacking.
For the Lakers, LeBron James made it an interesting affair by scoring 29 points. They cut the gap to 11 points with four minutes left, but that was the closest they got.
