The Los Angeles Lakers flew to Texas to begin a three-game road trip after winning the first NBA In-Season Tournament.

The Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks on the opening night of a back-to-back and seemed to be on track for another victory when Kyrie Irving was ruled out. However, Los Angeles’ defense let them down all night, allowing them to lose a tight game against Dallas.

The defeat is bitter because the Lakers had another outstanding effort from Anthony Davis, who scored 37 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Davis is coming off his finest game of the season, but his performance against the Mavericks was even more amazing given his hip issue.

Davis said he worsened it against Dallas and would consult with the team on how to proceed, according to Spectrum SportsNet:

“We’ll see how it goes… I went to try it out before the game, and it felt wonderful. There were times throughout the game when I felt it. We adjusted it again, but we’ll see how it feels going ahead. Take each game one day at a time, and we’ll make judgments from there.”

The great big man had a lengthy list of concerns, but he stated his hip held up for most of the 2023-24 season until he injured it in Saturday’s In-Season Tournament triumph against the Indiana Pacers:

“I had gotten over the Һump. It’s been great since the Cleveland game. The first time I felt it or tweaked it was against Indiana on Saturday. So it was probably a three-week period where I felt fully normal and healthy. So I’m not sure, but I’ll keep having therapy and trying to get it to feel well enough to lace them on.”

Davis’ ιnjury is troubling, but it was difficult to discern against Dallas considering how thoroughly he controlled both ends of the court. The Lakers don’t get much rest as they face the San Antonio Spurs on the second night of a back-to-back, so Davis may sit.

Anthony Davis is unconcerned about outside criticism.

Davis has been scrutinized since he arrived in Los Angeles, despite his insistence that he is ready to lead the storied team. When Davis has a terrible game, the national media likes to criticize him and compare him to his contemporaries.

Davis, on the other hand, stressed that he is unconcerned with outside noise and is just concerned with himself and the team.