LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers lost a war of attrition this season

LeBron James hit one key word multiple times after the Lakers saw their opportunity for back-to-back championships disappear: Draining. The Suns' 113-100 win over the Lakers on Thursday night was just the final blow in what has been an exhausting stretch for James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the team. It started after Los Angeles captured the 2020 title in the Florida "bubble" in October. The Lakers had a 71-day break between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns, the shortest offseason in NBA history.