Stephen A. Smith says Anthony Davis ‘should be ashamed’ after scoring 13 points in the Lakers’ heavy loss in Memphis despite key outs including Ja Morant and Steven Adams
- Davis scored 13 points and had eight rebounds, with two assists in the loss
- Memphis tied the series at one and may have Ja Morant back for Games 3 or 4
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Stephen A. Smith went into a dramatic diatribe as he criticized Anthony Davis for an “embarrassing performance” in the Lakers’ loss to an understaffed Memphis in Game 2.
LA struggled from the start in Tennessee despite Ja Morant, and big men Steven Adams and Brandon Clark, all missing for the Grizz.
Memphis tied the series at 1-1 with a 103-93 in which Davis scored just 13 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes.
“It was embarrassing, especially by Anthony Davis,” Smith said of both the Lakers and the ex-Kentucky star on First Take.
“He should be ashamed of the way he played last night. I’ll remind you Steven Adams is gone. I’ll remind you that Brandon Clark is gone.
Stephen A. Smith sounded dramatic after Anthony Davis’ performance in Game 2
Davis only scored 13 points as the LA Lakers fell short in a 103-93 loss in Memphis
“I’ll remind you that a dude named Xavier Tillman rolled in there and had 22 points and 13 rebounds — that’s an embarrassing feat. You know, coming into this series way before Ja Morant got hurt. Anthony Davis needs to take center stage.”
Davis attempted to shoot 2/12 after three-quarters, and Smith put the blame squarely on the Lakers’ 17-foot size.
“It’s your series and you’re not showing up for a game two. Do you know what kind of gap Memphis puts when they are 0-2 down? Got to go back to LA… you could secure the series and Anthony Davis didn’t show up.
‘He was nowhere to be seen. That is unscrupulous. If this turns into a series, plenty of time for Ja Morant to come back, and God forbid you lose this series. We’re going to think of Game 2 as a missed opportunity, and that missed opportunity belonged to one man.
“The only person you should be able to rely on, who literally resembles the big guy on campus with a bunch of little ones around him, was Anthony Davis. And he didn’t show up.’
Memphis superstar Morant was not ready for Game 2 on Wednesday, but will have a much better chance of getting involved in Tinseltown with Game 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday, respectively.
Regardless of the outcomes, the Lakers-Grizzlies series will run a minimum of five games, meaning Morant has at least until April 28 to make his second first-round appearance.
Yes Morant missed Game 2, but could be available for Games 3 and 4 in LA early next week