That's all, folks: Anthony Davis's no show dooms L.A. in West finals

Davis no-showed against the Nuggets, sending the Lakers out in a sweep by losing 113-111. Darvin Ham lamented the team's inability to finish at the rim, a huge indictment of 6-foot-10 Davis. "Can't be tentative," he told Lisa Salters between the third and fourth quarters as Davis sat on the bench to start the fourth.

His backup, Tristan Thompson, promptly slammed a crowd-pleasing dunk and breathed life back into the Lakers.

The ugly performance from Davis was even more galling given the fact that James had a game that belongs in his personal record book. Not only did he score his 8,000th career playoff point, he also posted a career-high for points in a postseason half with 31 in the first half. The Lakers built a 73-58 lead but trailed 94-89 entering the fourth when James took a backseat in the third and no one stepped up in his place.

Davis's absence didn't go unnoticed on Twitter.

Despite having a couple of nice blocks and an emphatic dunk to tie the game at 102, Davis was often late to close out on three-pointers, including a foul on a Jamal Murray attempt to put the Nuggets up three. He finished with 21 points but on an inefficient 15 shots.

He joined the Lakers in a trade with New Orleans during the 2019 offseason and helped bring Los Angeles a championship in his first season. The results have been mixed since. The Lakers lost in the first round of the 2020-21 postseason and failed to make the playoffs last season.

This year was the Lakers' best since they won the championship and Davis played his best stretch of basketball in L.A. during the early months.

But his transformation into a non-factor -- unable to capitalize on James's great game -- in the Lakers' final game will be the lasting impression of Davis for this season.