New Orleans • From the final buzzer, Anthony Davis took an hour to shower and get dressed.
The New Orleans Pelicans star often takes his time before speaking to the media after games, but there was a ponderous tone to his familiar routines. He was silent, and as he finished, he pulled his hood over his head, nearly hiding his famed unibrow.
A reporter wanted to know about his 10 blocks, arguably the most impressive component in his triple-double against the Utah Jazz on Sunday afternoon.
“It doesn’t matter, man,” he said. “We lost. I don’t really care about no career high or nothing like that.”
Davis scored 25 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and, yes, blocked 10 shots in front of a Smoothie King Center crowd that hailed his return from a sprained ankle with chants of “MVP.” Three quarters in, it looked like the perfect way for the five-time All-Star to celebrate his 25th birthday. But then suddenly it wasn’t.
When the Pelicans (38-28) were overtaken by Donovan Mitchell in a 116-99 loss, Davis went dark. He didn’t score in the fourth quarter, shooting just a pair of off-target jump shots. His Jazz counterpart Rudy Gobert, who had been all but locked up by Davis for most of the game, hit a stride with nine fourth-quarter points, including hitting all five of his free throws in that period.
In many ways Davis outperformed Gobert, whom his own coach Alvin Gentry called the best rim-protector in the league before tipoff. Davis wreaked havoc on Jazz drivers and shooters, chasing them down from behind or, in one memorable instance, ripping down mid-air dunk attempts.
“He can block the shot, can stay in between,” said Ricky Rubio. “You think about the shot, you think about the pass — he can cover both at the same time.”
But Davis can’t be his own teammate, and that’s where New Orleans truly fell short. Aside from his 9 for 22 from the field, which wasn’t his best, he didn’t get enough support. The Pelicans shot just 28.6 percent from 3-point range, which helped Utah’s defense collapse on the paint.
As Davis slowly dressed, he sat next to the shuttered locker of DeMarcus Cousins — a cold reminder that without his fellow All-Star beside him, much of the burden is placed on him. While Davis has met even the wildest expectations while leading New Orleans on a 10-game winning streak without the injured Cousins, so much of the burden is placed on him for team success.
The Jazz got enough from their starting lineup to collectively crush the Pelicans for a victory that could be crucial in a packed playoff race. Even on his birthday, Davis didn’t have the luxury of that much assistance.
“They made shots, and when they make shots, we can’t get out and run,” he said. “We gotta be better as far as playing harder, being more physical and playing better defense.”
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