Anthony Davis was limited to 15 points in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, 18 below his average after the first two games.
He was often at fault early in the game, before blending into the background.
The Miami Heat won 115-104, following two Los Angeles Lakers' wins.
Davis had been dominant so far in the series. One could believe that it would continue, especially since the Heat were deprived of their best option in defense against them, the center Bam Adebayo.
But Davis only attempted nine shots and on top of that, he made as many turnovers as he grabbed rebounds, five.
With him on the field, the Lakers were outclassed by 26 points.
“It's annoying. If I had played well and had done my job maybe we would have won, ”said Davis.
The fourth game will take place on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m.
LeBron James isn't worried about Davis' performance.
"I think we're going to revisit the 'AD' that we know," said James.
Davis didn't try to shoot in the first quarter, committing four more turnovers and two fouls.
He seemed to pick up the pace in the third quarter, getting 10 points there. But he was shut out in 10 minutes in the last quarter, taking a single shot and collecting a rebound. Davis mentioned that he became less aggressive after the early fouls.
As for the Heat, Adebayo is an uncertain case for Tuesday, due to neck pain.
“I'm trying to come back as quickly as possible,” said Adebayo, who averaged 21.8 points per game in the Eastern Final. The team just wants to make sure I'm ready to do it. "
Meyers Leonard replaced him as center, supported by Canadian Kelly Olynyk. The British Columbian has provided 24 and 17 points in his last two games.
Goran Dragic is a doubtful case, following a left foot injury.