The big picture demanded that the Lakers be smart; the small picture demanded the Lakers play a little tougher Thursday night.
Anthony Davis, who missed most of the Lakers’ game on Christmas, needed the night off because of lingering soreness in his sprained left ankle. Gabe Vincent needed more time to recover from an oblique strain.
Removing key pieces, especially one as critical as Davis, highlighted something JJ Redick’s one-time coach Doc Rivers used to say: winning any game in the NBA is hard.
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The Lakers were going to need a big night from someone they rely on and a career night from someone they’re truly starting to.