"Anthony Davis, in just his second game back, has DESTROYED Joel Embiid" - Skip Bayless on the 2 stars matching up, speculates Embiid would've thought it'd have been easy with LeBron James out

Anthony Davis played just his second game since returning from a knee injury to lead the LA Lakers against MVP candidate Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. Playing without LeBron James, the purple and gold squad lost to the home team 105-87. Despite the setback, Laker Nation was buzzing with energy and hope following AD’s impressive display on both ends of the floor.

The LA Lakers big man ended the night with 31 points, 12 rebounds and was superb on defense with 4 blocks, including one on the 76ers’ superstar center. Skip Bayless, who has been an unrepentant critic of LeBron James and the Lakers for most of the season, heaped praise on Anthony Davis.

Here’s how The Undisputed co-host surprisingly lauded “The Brow:”

“Laker Nation: Anthony Davis, in just his second game back, has DESTROYED Joel Embiid tonight…even though Embiid obviously thought this would be easy with LeBron sitting this one out.”

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Destroyed might be too strong a word as Joel Embiid still finished with a team-high 26 points along with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. He did take 20 shots to reach his output but was also a major factor on both sides of the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers. More importantly, he led his team to a blowout of the Lakers.

Embiid’s impact can likewise be seen in his free-throw attempts. The starting center for the East All-Stars took 13 shots from the line, making eight of them. The Lakers as a team had only nine attempts, making all of their free-throws on the night.

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Anthony Davis’ strong showing was a huge sigh of relief for the Lakers faithful. They were uncertain how their big man would fare against Embiid, who has been on a tear for practically the whole month and has been causing nightmares against opposing defenses. Seeing Davis swat away one of Embiid’s shots has already led to some effusive praise from even hard-to-please basketball fans.

Anthony Davis was unable to stop the LA Lakers from going back to their old habits

Even with a full roster, the LA Lakers have been struggling with poor third-quarters and turnovers all season long. [Photo: Silver Screen and Roll]

Two of the Lakers’ biggest issues came to light once again in the loss to the 76ers. They shot poorly and their defense allowed another huge third-quarter deficit, which basically cost them the game. Behind Anthony Davis’ great start, the Lakers were only trailing 48-56. They entered the fourth quarter trailing 68-88.

The Tinseltown squad have made solid improvements in their turnovers lately. That issue reared its ugly head again versus the 76ers. Some of their unforced errors halted their momentum and oftentimes messed up their rhythm. It’s a problem that the Lakers have not fully solved this season.

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These issues are present even with LeBron James in the lineup. They will have to fix this to turn their season around. Even if the Lakers Big 3 are available, if they are unable to address these concerns, their up-and-down season will likely continue.