Pacific Notes: LeBron, Davis, Suns, Warriors, Curry

An unexpected development for the downturn Lakers have lost the minutes when their two stars are on the pitch together, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. As of Tuesday night, LA was outscored by 5.5 points per game. 100 balls in the 365 minutes that LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both in the game.

There are several glaring problems with the James-Davis series, Price adds. Regardless of who else is paired with them, the groups haven’t rebounded well or forced enough turnovers, and they’re letting opponents shoot high percentages from the field.

The inability to gain an advantage when their best players share the court has contributed to the Lakers’ recent slump after a 10-4 start, but coach JJ Redick do not consider it a cause for alarm.

“Not worried, not worried at all,” Redick said. “It’s more about digging deeper into why and trying to fix it yourself.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

• Tuesday’s return of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal hair Sun looks like an elite team again, states Doug Haller of The Athletic. Durant and Beal sparked a 27-point run by the Lakers in an NBA Cup game and provided a reminder of how good the team looked during its 8-1 start to the season. “I just wanted to be out there with the guys,” said Durant, who missed seven games with a strained left calf. “Wanted to travel. When you’re injured, you’re still part of the team, you’re still on the roster, but there’s a level of separation you have (with guys playing). I just wanted to be part of the group again.”
• Defense has become a problem for Warriors in their last two games, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. They let a 17-point second-half lead slip away in Saturday’s loss to San Antonio, then squandered an 18-point lead Monday against Brooklyn. The Warriors ranked 25th in team defense in those two games, allowing a horrendous 154.2 points per game. 100 possessions in the fourth quarter combined. Defensive problems were the focus of Tuesday’s practice. “Our communication wasn’t good and we didn’t rotate and catch the box like we usually do,” Kevon Looney said of Monday’s game. (Assistant coach and defensive coordinator Jerry Stackhouse) talk about us being early, being aggressive, and I think we were half a second late with everything.”
• After being listed as questionable Tuesday, Warriors guard Stephen Curry will sit out tonight’s game against Oklahoma City with bilateral knee pain, Gordon added in a separate history. This will be Curry’s fourth missed game of the season, and Golden State has won the first three.