Basketball
David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers have been playing some of their best basketball of the season recently, but that wasn’t the case on Tuesday.
Despite being without stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, the Philadelphia 76ers trounced the Lakers 118-104 behind a big night from Tyrese Maxey. Embiid missed Tuesday’s game due to his lingering knee injury while George was out because of a finger injury he suffered on Saturday.
Maxey, who is having a career year, put up 43 points in the dominant win. He’s now recorded 11 games with 28 or more points.
The Lakers were without a star of their own for much of the game, as Anthony Davis played just 10 minutes before exiting with an abdominal strain. With no Davis, LeBron James did his best to carry Los Angeles to a win with 31 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, but it was far from enough to get the job done.
After the loss, fans ripped the Lakers for failing to take care of Philadelphia with its stars out.
Jory Dreher @JDreherLN
The #Lakers beat the #Celtics at full strength by 21 points just 5 days ago.
What’s happening tonight against the #76ers without Paul George and Joel Embiid is an excusable and on the players. Not the front office.
Until THEY begin taking accountability, it’ll be the same
Scott Reichel @ReichelRadio
The Lakers just allowed 48 points in a quarter to a 76ers team with no Paul George and no Joel Embiid ????#NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/NRIiUeVi7Q
Jorge Mendez @LakerFan_85
No Paul George & no Embiid, and this @Lakers team still gave up 73 points in the first half. Smfh some of the many reasons why you can’t take this team seriously where it comes to championship talk.
@black @BlackBookClub1
Lakers getting smacked against Philly without Embiid or Paul George? pic.twitter.com/u4c6fl1NiI
Michael Davis @KingDavie24
The Lakers should not be losing to Philadelphia considering they don’t have George or Embiid
Jack Weihl @jweihl23
The Lakers losing to the 76ers who don’t have Joel Embiid & Paul George is an absolute joke.
NATIONAL CHAMP???????? @YounggSlime
lakers down almost 30 a sixers team with no embiid or paul george lmao it’s so over
kdwrdd @kdwrdd
Lakers getting 21 pieced by 76ers with no Paul George, no Embiid, no KJ Martin, no Caleb Martin, no Andre Drummond, no Jared McCain. They got no heart
Denislov Lietnev @Denoxyl
How can Maxey without Paul George and Embiid cook the whole Lakers team? #LakeShow
Coming into the game, the Lakers had won six of their last seven games and beat the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors during that stretch. They looked far from the same team in Tuesday’s loss, and a big part of that was Davis’ absence.
While the severity of Davis’ injury is unknown at this point, Los Angeles can only hope he doesn’t miss an extended period.
Even with the loss, the Lakers are in a good position, sitting in fifth place in the West at 26-19 thanks to the recent hot streak.
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