Once again, Anthony Davis performed poorly against Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings. However, head coach Darvin Ham defended his big man against criticism. The Lakers’ loss to the Kings was frustrating as it marked their fifth consecutive loss to Sacramento this season. Davis struggled against Sabonis, who had an impressive triple-double of 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, overshadowing Davis’ 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists.

Coach Ham acknowledged Sabonis’s skills but expressed confidence in Davis’s abilities, stating that he had seen Davis make those shots many times before. He attributed Davis’ off night to a bad shooting performance, similar to Russell’s struggles. Ham believed that Davis, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, would return from the setback.

 “I don’t want to belittle Sabonis,” Ham said. “He’s a Һell of a player. But I’ve seen (AD) make those shots plenty of times. Yeah, he’s physical, but you have bad shooting nights, just like (Russell) wasn’t hitting the marks he usually hits. It wasn’t there tonight. (Sabonis) He is a Һell of a player, but I know who I’m coaching, too. This guy’s also a Һell of a player, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’ll bounce back, I’m sure.”  

While basketball is a team sport and not solely reliant on individual matchups, it is evident that Sabonis has consistently outperformed Davis, and their head-to-head record is not a coincidence. Davis acknowledged Sabonis’ physicality in the locker room and mentioned their efforts to limit his оffensive impact. However, the Kings succeeded inside and beyond the arc, shooting 60% from the field and converting 43% of their three-point attempts.

 The Lakers’ ongoing struggles against teams with dominant big me𝚗 and talented wing players, such as the Kings and Nuggets, pose a difficult challenge. Until Davis rises to the occasion, the team acquires a quality big or star guard, or receives reinforcements from players like Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt, it is unlikely that they will have more victories than losses against teams with similar compositions.