The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 131-125 win on Friday, but Anthony Davis wasn't happy with the win. During Davis' postgame interview, he was asked about the Raptors nearly coming back from down 26 and he made it clear it was not acceptable.
"Unacceptable," Davis said. "Yeah we won, and we'll take the win for sure. It's hard to win in this league, especially on the road, but we're a long way from where we want to be. Having a big lead like that, giving up 31 points. I think 31 in the second, 38 in the third.
"If we have any goals, aspirations of doing anything this season, we can't allow that on the defensive end," Davis said. "We were able to get the win off of talent but we wasn't able to do what we wanted to do on the defensive end and they got very comfortable coming out of halftime."
The Lakers defense certainly failed to impress against the Raptors. They allowed just 19 points in the first quarter but allowed over 30 in each of the next three. The Raptors scored 74 points in the second half and you won't win too many games in which that happens.
The Lakers' defensive woes led to a 26-point lead being cut down to six multiple times in the fourth quarter. Gradey Dick had an open three-pointer to make it a three-point game in the final 40 seconds but fortunately for LA, he missed, and that all but ended the game.
This was a second straight poor defensive showing from the Lakers. They allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to score 134 points earlier this week and head coach JJ Redick needs to find some solutions sooner rather than later.
As for Davis himself, he was easily the Lakers' best player once again. The 31-year-old recorded 38 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks on the night and is one of the early frontrunners for the MVP award.
Davis is now averaging 31.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game in 2024-25. He has been very impactful on both ends of the court and deserves respect for how well he's performed.
Anthony Davis On His Offensive Production In 2024-25
Davis is currently on pace to have the best scoring season of his career, having never averaged 30.0 PPG in a single campaign prior to this one. During this interview, he was asked about the key to his rhythm on offense.
"Just being aggressive," Davis said. "Taking my time on all my shots. Putting a lot of work over the summer. Like I always say, USA Basketball big help with my rhythm. Was able to come out again and have a big performance."
There were some concerns regarding Davis heading into this season following his participation in the Paris Olympics. It would appear, though, that the time he spent with Team USA has helped him actually start the season better than he usually would have. The Lakers would be hoping he keeps this up and if he does, he will be a strong candidate for MVP.
