The biggest headline to emerge from the total collapse of Game 2, where the Lakers allowed a 20-point second half lead to disappear, was after, when Anthony Davis said the Lakers have stretches on both sides of the ball where they don't know what they're doing.  This was a very pointed criticism, to say the least.  Wednesday, Darvin Ham was asked about AD's comments and ... made it worse. ""I just think sometimes the plays don't turn out the way you think they should. The frustration sets in a little bit. But I don't think it's, for us, not being organized. I think I have incredibly ..read more

Monday was a brutal night all around for the Lakers. They blew a 20-point lead in Denver against the Nuggets in Game 2, and while it doesn't end their chances of winning the series it certainly does some very serious damage to their hopes. Psychologically, too, blowing a 20-point second half lead is not an easy thing to recover from.  But that's what the Lakers have to do, and if they're going to be successful they have to figure out how to keep the offense from experiencing the long stretches of stagnation that have plagued them through the first two games. Monday, as Denver started to c ..read more

For most of Monday's Game 2 in Denver, the Lakers were in position to send the series back to Los Angeles tied at 1 game each. At points, it looked like they were guaranteed to do it, pushing their lead up to 20 in the second half.  But little by little, Denver chipped away. LA's offense went into a near full hibernation in the second half (38 points) and while they did manage to get a few big buckets down the stretch — a pair of triples from LeBron, a drive and finish from D'Angelo Russell, a baseline jumper from Austin Reaves — it wasn't nearly enough to make up for the loooooooooong st ..read more

Saturday's Game 1 in Denver was undoubtedly disappointing, and once again put in stark relief the challenge facing the Lakers against the team most experts expect to represent the West in the NBA Finals this year.  It also makes tonight's Game 2 a must-win, because the odds of this Lakers team showing enough high-end consistency to beat the Nuggets four times in five tries feels... unrealistic. So it's about breaking through tonight, and proving to themselves as much as everyone else that it's possible for the Los Angeles Lakers to beat the Denver Nuggets. So what has to get better? For s ..read more

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Reasons for Lakers fans to be optimistic about their chances against the Nuggets.   SEGMENT 2: MORE reasons to be optimistic about their chances.   SEGMENT 3: This, of course, if Anthony Davis can close the gap a little between him and Jokic.   Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Monopoly GO! Get in the game and join your friends. Download MONOPOLY GO! now free on The App Store or Google Play. Yahoo Finance For comprehensive financial news and analysis, visit the brand behind every great investor, YahooFinance.com. Nissan ..read more

The Lakers spanked the Pelicans on Sunday to earn their way to the 8-seed and... a repeat of Sunday's game in New Orleans. This time, however, the winner of the game advances straight into the rest of the postseason, finishing as the West's 7-seed and winning a chance to travel to Denver this weekend.  The loser plays the winner of Wednesday's game between Sacramento and Golden State.  On paper, at least, the Lakers would seem to be the favorites. Three wins in four games over New Orleans, with an average mergin of victory exceeding 26 points. That's some real dominance and indicates ..read more

Given the disappointment of Wednesday's results and the box it puts the Lakers in from a standings perspective - they're far more likely now to be a 10 seed than anything else - there was at least some speculation that the Lakers might just leave a recovering Anthony Davis and LeBron James at home, at least for Friday's game in Memphis. Let them fully recover before playing again, and see if Sunday in New Orleans matters. There were certainly arguments to be made against that plan, and apparently those are the ones the Lakers went with. Davis and James both were on the plane, and are in positi ..read more

Locked On Lakers podcast is your daily ticket to stay ahead of the game and the first to know the latest news, analysis, and insider info for the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA ..read more

Anthony Davis has been outstanding for the Lakers this season. He's put up numbers. He's been available, piling up minutes despite a variety of ailments. He's anchored a Lakers defense that often becomes catastrophically bad without him available.  But the timing of his latest injury/illness couldn't have been worse. Davis has missed the team's last seven quarters, and they happened to be seven of the most important quarters the Lakers have played all season. And while his symptoms (headache, nausea) sound like they're concussion related, the Lakers have said he's not in the protocols. Wh ..read more

The Lakers have been the beneficiaries of good health from LeBron James and Anthony Davis... until right about now. Sunday, LeBron missed a key game against Minnesota with an illness, and Anthony Davis was knocked out at the end of the first quarter after being whacked in the head.  Tuesday, in a game that would add tremendous clarity -- good or bad -- to where the Lakers might finish in the West, Davis was still on the sidelines with a headache and nausea (we'll leave it to the armchair physicians to decide what that sounds like) and LeBron was still feeling awful, arriving at the arena ..read more