ATLANTA – The Los Angeles Lakers ended a brutal four-game road trip Friday after being defeated 134-132 in overtime by the surging Atlanta Hawks.

Although LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both involved in several late-game blunders that helped the Hawks win, James pointed to a major problem that has led LA to lose seven of its last nine games rather than any specific mistakes , which led to this occurred on the track in Atlanta.

After LA’s bench fell to the Hawks 65-17, James said the Lakers’ lack of depth would be tested. He listed the names of Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes — all of whom were inactive Friday night — as players in the “top 11” of the Lakers’ potential rotation if they were healthy.

“With the lineups not matching up, we’re obviously trying to find ways,” James said. “So it’s a big challenge. We don’t have much room for error. … They’re big, big, big, big pieces.”

The biggest loss was Reaves, who did not play during the 1-3 game due to a bruised left pelvis and returned to Los Angeles to receive treatment before Friday’s game.

“He’s like a glue to our offense, but he’s also a scorer and a playmaker,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before Friday’s game of Reaves, who is averaging 16.7 points and 4.8 assists this season has. “He does both. And he’s also very competitive and brings the juice he needs every night.”

Reaves is considered fit for Sunday’s home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Hayes has missed 12 of Los Angeles’ last 13 games due to a right ankle injury and is expected to miss at least another week. Wood (left knee surgery) and Vanderbilt (right foot surgery and fluid in the left knee) did not play all season. Woods’ schedule remains unclear and Vanderbilt plans to play in early January, according to the Lakers.

Their absences have not only resulted in L.A. ranking in the bottom five in bench points this season, but have also led to Redick shuffling the lineup in search of something that will stick – for example, by starting on Friday placed Gabe Vincent in the starting lineup in place of D’Angelo Russell.

James’ comments came after he and Davis put together some of their best performances of the season, although Davis made a few crucial errors in overtime. He had a turnover with 28 seconds left in overtime on a pass to James, which James saved from going into the basket with a chase-down block against Dyson Daniels, and then was involved in a poorly executed inbounds play With the game tied with 19.6 seconds left, Davis was taken in by three Hawks defenders, leading to a jump ball that James was unable to defend.

James posted 39 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals for his seventh triple-double of the season and shot 14 of 25 from the field, including 6 of 11 from 3, after recently struggling with his shot.

Davis scored 38 points on 15-for-27 shooting, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks, rebounding from a season-low eight points on 3-for-14 shooting in Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat.

For his part, Davis said the Lakers simply have to work with what they have at the moment.

“There is no cavalry,” Davis said. “Nobody feels sorry for us. We cannot feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep putting our heads down and grinding and working. Trying to get back in the win column on Sunday against Portland. … There’s no game going on. “To make it easy for ourselves, we have to get the win.”

James added: “I don’t know what’s going to get us over the hump. We just don’t have to drown. Don’t drown and nothing will happen to us.”