Under normal circumstances, Sunday's 112-108 loss to the Knicks wouldn't be a major source of concern. The Lakers played hard, they didn't underestimate their opponent. They just weren't sharp. It happens. Except right now, the Lakers simply can't afford to have games where they're not sharp, and can't execute well enough to win games there for the taking. With the loss, the Lakers drop into a statistical tie with the Thunder for the 10th spot in the West. Still only a game out of 7th, and two out of 6th, but obviously a much shakier spot than they were 24 hours ago. It was a few things - Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Troy Brown provided absolutely nothing for the Lakers in support of Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell (who was again excellent on Sunday, with 33 points on 13-19 shooting. As a team, the Lakers didn't get to the line enough, and when they did, they - and Davis more specifically - didn't hit enough of them. Darvin Ham erred it seemed in not keeping either Russell or Davis on the floor on a night where the supporting cast wasn't elevating the team (Davis was a +9, Russell +14 on a night the Lakers lost by four). But the person who put the blame on himself first and foremost was Davis. He took responsibility for the loss, which while not totally accurate - AD wasn't dominant, but he wasn't awful, and it certainly wasn't one of those games where Davis sort of floats through 48 minutes - was still a good sign of leadership, of understanding what the Lakers need from him night to night, and a reason to be encouraged about Tuesday's game in New Orleans. Davis has, for the most part, responded well to games in which he felt he underperformed. We'll see. And we'll see as well if Davis plays in both ends of this week's back-to-back, Tuesday against the Pelicans, Wednesday in Houston. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers don't execute, and they lose. SEGMENT 2: Anthony Davis puts the loss on his shoulders. Is he being fair to himself? SEGMENT 3: The standings are tight, and the Lakers need to keep Davis on the floor for every game now, right? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. Ibotta Right now, Ibotta is offering our listeners $5 just for trying Ibotta by using the code Locked when you register. Go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app. Ultimate Pro Basketball GM To download the game just visit probasketballgm.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store. PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON BetterHelp This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at Betterhelp.com/LockedOnNBA and get on your way to being your best self. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices