LOS ANGELES — LeBron James was on the bench, Anthony Davis was limping all over the court and the Lakers' chances this season continued to hang by the most fragile threads — the font getting bigger and bolder each time the team takes the court for its latest "must-win" game.
Russell Westbrook, playing with confidence and pace, kept the crowd engaged. Davis, even through the hobbling, had the kind of all-around game that reminds people of the talent he possesses.
Yet in what's been a year-long trend, the Lakers didn't have enough Sunday at Crypto.com Arena — unable to run fast enough for long enough in a game they desperately needed to win.
Despite leading by as many as nine, the Lakers couldn't hold off Denver, a 129-118 loss trimming their already slim playoff hopes down another few sizes.
James, who played in Friday's loss to the Pelicans, was unable to suit up Sunday, his sore left ankle unable to recover by the matinee tipoff. The Lakers say James is day to day, with the team headed to Phoenix to meet the first-place Suns on Tuesday.
Without him, Davis grinded through obvious pain to finish with 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while Westbrook contributed 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Contributions, though, beyond those two were limited. Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points, but he needed 18 shots. Malik Monk added 11 points and Avery Bradley had 10, but the season-long defensive issues meant the Lakers simply didn't have enough firepower.
Nikola Jokic scored 38 to go with 17 rebounds, and Will Barton had 25 points, making six three-pointers. The Lakers, as a team, made just six from three-point range.
To make it into the postseason play-in tournament, the Lakers must win two more games than San Antonio — the Spurs playing a decimated Portland team later Sunday while holding the season-series tiebreaker.
