Lakers star Anthony Davis sat at his locker after his team’s 111-110 loss to the Mavericks Friday and took the blame for the loss.
Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber made a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining. Before Kleber’s shot, Davis was at the free throw line with just under seven seconds left.
Davis made one of his two foul shot attempts, increasing the Lakers’ lead to two, instead of three.
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Anthony Davis (3) of the Los Angeles Lakers boxes out during a game against the Dallas Mavericks March 17, 2023, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
With 7.2 seconds left, Davis was called for a foul against Kleber on a 3-point attempt. Kleber went to the foul line and made all three of his free throws to cut the Lakers’ lead to one.
“I already came in and told them the last play was my fault,” Davis said after Friday’s game. The eight-time All-Star has taken blame for several Lakers games this season.
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The Lakers fell to 34-37 on the season. A win would have boosted the team’s playoff chances because two teams ahead of them — the Warriors and Timberwolves — both lost.
“It’s tough all the way across the board,” Davis, who scored 26 points, said.
Mavs superstar Luka Doncic sat out of the game with an injury. The win pushed the Mavs into the sixth spot in the conference.
Anthony Davis (3) of the Los Angeles Lakers defends during a game against the Dallas Mavericks March 17, 2023, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
Wenyen Gabriel, who had nine points and 11 rebounds off the bench, said he still believes in Davis.
“I mean, AD is our leader,” Gabriel said. “He’s our best player right now, and that just shows that taking accountability as being the best player.
“That’s something that’s important for the continuity as a team and having trust in each other, and obviously we trust AD. That was just a moment. It’s obviously not just on AD, but him taking accountability for that is something that is important instead of pointing fingers in terms of chemistry going forward.”
Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game against the Dallas Mavericks March 17, 2023, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Lakers play the Orlando Magic Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers had a slow start to the season and are fighting to get into the postseason. The team will need Davis to play at a high level, especially as LeBron James continues to deal with a foot injury.
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Los Angeles played well after the All-Star break, winning six out of eight games. But the team has lost three out of its last four games.
“We’re missing our opportunities, for sure. It’s frustrating,” Davis said.
Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
