Lakers News: Highlights From A 55-Point, 17-Rebound Anthony Davis Masterpiece
Today, your Los Angeles Lakers continued their improbably excellent road trip run, besting Kyle Kuzma and his Washington Wizards (aided in part by Bradley Beal leaving after three minutes with an injury) 130-119.
The game looked to be all but over after its first three quarters thanks to stellar all-around turns from the usual suspects, but the Lakers let their foot off the gas a bit in the fourth. Ultimately, the team righted the ship, and nabbed the win. Los Angeles continues to get closer to an actual winning record this season. The team currently stands at 10-12, having won eight of its previous ten bouts.
The star of the show, as has been the case for his past ten healthy games for the team (during which he posted ten straight double-doubles), was All-NBA L.A. center Anthony Davis, now actually, legitimately sniffing around the margins of the MVP conversation thanks so his unreal play.
Davis scored 55 points on a hyper-efficient 22-of-30 shooting from the floor (73.3%) and 9-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line. It marks his second straight 40+ game, and the first time AD has had back-to-back 40+ point games since his New Orleans Pelicans days. Per the Lakers, he's the first Los Angeles player to pull off the feat since one Kobe Bryant in 2013. The 6'10" All-Star also pulled down 17 rebounds, swatted three blocks, and dished out one dime.
Davis was flanked by L.A. comrades LeBron James (who poured in 29 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and passed for 6 assists), starting small forward Lonnie Walker IV (whose 20 points included 16 scored on 4-of-4 three-point shooting), and reserve point guard Russell Westbrook (who dished out 15 assists, grabbed seven rebounds, and scored just six points).
The eight-time All-Star may not be a terrific jump shooter anymore, but he still has a heck of a handle, and knows how to use it inside:
AD often connected with former No. 1 Lakers option LeBron James on a variety of looks around the rack. In one slick moment, LBJ dished out a skyhook-esque lob pass to Davis that the Lakers' Twitter account deemed a "hook lob:"
It's not like the Wizards front line is chopped liver. Washington is starting 6'9" ex-Laker Kyle Kuzma at power forward and 7'3" former All-Star Kristaps Porzingis at center, with 6'10" reserve big man Daniel Gafford occasionally even sharing the floor with that duo for a jumbo-sized frontcourt. But AD still made mincemeat out of all of them anyway:
In the fourth quarter, James dished out an alley-oop assist to Davis for a hammer flush:
After the game, Kuzma embraced Davis to celebrate his old teammate's incredible night. Here's hoping more opponents hug Davis after getting demolished by him in the coming days.
What a run!
