The Lakers have an uphill climb to advance past the first round and Anthony Davis believes he is the reason they find themselves in an early hole.

He wasn’t nearly good enough in a 99-90 Game 1 loss to the Suns.

“There’s no way we’re winning a game, let alone a series, with me playing the way that I played,” Davis told reporters. “So, I mean, this is on me. I take full responsibility, for sure. We’ll be better Game 2.”

Davis scored just 13 points and made just 5 of 16 attempts from the field. He was a minus-18 in his 39 minutes, the worst plus-minus on the Lakers. David didn’t come out very aggressive, and really never found his rhythm.

“Usually, I come out the gates very dominant, and I think tonight, or today, we had it going,” Davis said. “So, I kind of just got lost in the offense. But I still have to be assertive and find ways to get the ball.

“It just kind of took me out of rhythm, but that’s on me. I still got to find ways to make plays on that end of the floor, offensively. So, like I said, it’s on me. I’m not too worried about my performance. I know I’ll be better. I know we’ll be better in Game 2.”

LeBron James was happy to see Davis take responsibility, but felt it was unfair to pin the loss on any one person. He also pointed to how frequently Davis responded from a poor performance in last year’s postseason to play at his best.

James said the cause for a loss is “never just one guy,” but he welcomed Davis’ accountability.

“I love it when AD takes that pressure on himself,” said James, who led L.A. with 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. “We’re a better team when he’s aggressive; we’re a better team when he demands the ball. But we all got to do things a lot better, as well.

“Anytime he comes to the pressure and tells you guys we can’t win with him playing the way he played, he always responds. So, looking forward to that. And when AD is AD again, we’ll be the Lakers.”