Anthony Davis Makes History in Game 1 vs. Warriors

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The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a massive Game 1 victory against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, and the got a dominant performance from Anthony Davis. With 30 points, 23 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks, Davis joined Tim Duncan as the only two players in NBA history to reach those numbers in a playoff game.
Anthony Davis tonight:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 3, 2023
30 PTS
23 REB
5 AST
4 BLK
11-19 FG
8-8 FT
Joins Tim Duncan as the only players in NBA history to reach those numbers in a playoff game. pic.twitter.com/4Dwa6KkuN0
The Warriors had no answer for Davis, as Kevon Looney was a step too slow, and Draymond Green looked too small. According to the NBA's matchup data, Davis shot 8/11 from the field when defended by Looney, and 3/5 from the field when defended by Green. The Warriors do not have any real options for Davis outside of those two, which could end up being a major issue in this series.
It will be interesting to see how the Warriors approach this matchup going forward, because they were dominated all game by Davis. His offense and rebounding were huge, but his defense may have had an even greater impact. While the four blocked shots are significant, the amount of shots Davis altered - or discouraged altogether, do not show up in the box score.
Down 0-1 in the series, the Warriors must find a way to make the necessary adjustments for Game 2, because they cannot afford to lose both of their first two home games in this series.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.
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