The Lakers concluded their six game road trip, and keeping with the theme of this season, things didn't shake out as hoped. A double digit lead against the Atlanta Hawks wasn't protected, resulting in a 129-121 loss. Malik Monk put up a monster 33 points. Anthony Davis continued his strong stretch of games with 27 points, five rebounds, four assists and a few strong plays defensively. Russell Westbrook had 20 points, twelve assists and just four turnovers. But the supporting cast was pretty quiet (as it's often been of late), the team defense was an absolute mess, and most importantly, LeBron James' absence was strongly felt, especially down the stretch when the Lakers struggled to execute their offense. The word on LeBron's knee is, for the time being, just general swelling, and hopefully he'll be available for Wednesday's exceptionally important game against the Blazers. But yet another stint away from the court offers short and long term worries for the Lakers, who are seriously behind the eight ball 51 games into this season. The strain is beginning to show, physically and mentally, with no obvious answers in sight. It's not impossible that, with sustained good health moving forward, these guys could round into a better version of themselves. Maybe even he version they pictured back in October. Unfortunately, it's hard to feel confident that a legitimate opportunity to prove themselves will even present itself, much less get cashed in. Hosts: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT ONE: The Lakers lose to the Hawks and are becoming dangerously close to a team that won't avoid the play-in tournament in their quest to make a playoff run. SEGMENT TWO: Another good game for Anthony Davis, but not enough to overcome LeBron's absence. SEGMENT THREE: Are the Lakers running out of time to round into form? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. PrizePicks Don’t hesitate, check out PrizePicks.com and use promo code: “NBA” or go to your app store and download the app today. PrizePicks is daily fantasy made easy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices