In the NBA Playoffs, every Lakers loss feels like the worst ever. Maybe it’s because Lakers fans haven’t been on this stage in a while (except in 2020, when we were spoiled with a 21-5 championship run) but Thursday’s loss to the defending champion Golden State Warriors felt like a huge blow. Not only was it a 27-point blowout, but it felt as if for one night, the Warriors had figured the Lakers out.
Oh, the highs and lows of a playoff series.
Sure, Los Angeles did its job by stealing home-court advantage in Game 1 — hence the lackluster effort in Game 2 — but Anthony Davis once again was a no-show on Thursday, similar to the previous series.