By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Los Angeles Lakers going down 0-2 to start the 2021-22 NBA Regular Season seems to have been affecting the players, especially Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard on Friday.
With the Lakers struggling in the second quarter, the teammates got into it during a timeout. A heated conversation went from a shouting match to near a fight, until the remaining players of Frank Vogel stepped in two separate the two.
“We squashed it right then and there, we just had a disagreement about something on the floor,” explained Howard after his side’s second home loss, “We’re both just very passionate. We got it out of the way, we’re grown men, things happen. But we already talked and squashed it. There’s no issue between me and him. That’s my brother, that’s my teammate.”
“Two guys, we’re very competitive. We just want to win games,” added Davis on the incident after posting a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double, “After the situation happened me and DH talked about it and we left it at that.”
The Lakers were outscored, 34-18, in the second quarter after leading by three points at the end of the first quarter. The turnaround apparently led to the altercation and eventually to the loss.
Coming up, another home game bringing the Memphis Grizzlies to Los Angeles on Sunday before a two-game road trip starting at Memphis and moving at San Antonio.
On the winning side, Chris Paul was the 47th player to reach the 20,000-point mark and the first in NBA history with at least 20,000 points and 10,000 assists to his name. He had 23 points, 14 assists, five rebounds, and two steals at Staples Center.
The Suns, currently 1-1, are scheduled to visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.