Anthony Davis Dominates In Game 1 Victory
Anthony Davis takes over Game 1 and shows that he is a problem to the Golden State Warriors.
By Gary Guillory
Anthony Davis lead the Lakers to victory in a dominant performance.
Photo provided by Official Lakers Website
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors are squaring off in the second round of the NBA playoffs where we once again see the familiar matchup of LeBron James and Stephen Curry. The Lakers managed to go on the road and secure a 117-112 victory in Game 1 on Tuesday night at the Chase Center in San Franciso.
The star of the night was Anthony Davis who put up 30 points, 23 rebounds and 4 blocks. Davis became the first Laker since Shaquille O’Neal with a 30-20 playoff game. Davis was an issue for the Warriors because he was energetic, aggressive, and crafty. He quickly became an issue for Golden State.
After the game, LeBron James had nothing but praise for Davis’ dominant performance saying "The Lakers franchise over the years, over the course of their existence, has always had dominant big men, dominant guys that have been a force at the rim [...] That's why their jerseys are in the rafters. AD will be up there when he's done playing. The No. 3 will be up in the rafters."
Early on, it was clear that Davis was focused and was aware that no one on the Warriors could stop him inside. This mentality persisted throughout the game. However, Davis gave the Lakers' guards credit for positioning him and getting the ball into his hands so that he could cause harm.
“The guys gave the ball to me in the right spots. A lot of it came out of pick and roll, post-ups, some offensive rebounds. Just being aggressive when I do catch, looking to score, looking to play make to the other guys. That was the guards finding me early, which allowed them to play free later on in the game.”
For Warriors center Kevon Looney, Davis presents a far more difficult challenge than Domantas Sabonis, particularly off the pick and roll. Davis, unlike Sabonis, not only outperforms and has more experience than the Kings' center but also offers flexibility and variety to the floor.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James look to continue this momentum in Game 2.
Photo provided by Official Lakers Twitter
LeBron James scored 22 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. James played off the ball a lot in this game and allowed other people to start the plays. Unfortunately, things almost did not work out for the Lakers because a late 14-0 Warriors run gave them a chance to tie the game with just under two minutes left.
The "New-Look Lakers" are living up to expectations in the NBA Playoffs.
Photo provided by Official Lakers Instagram
“I mean, that’s been us since we made acquisitions with our new guys. We’ve been able to be very resilient in games. Like I said, we’ve been playing lot of basketball for about two and a half months now, just trying to punch our clock and to be able to play right now in the post-season.”
He goes on to say, “We’ve been very resilient. Tonight versus a team like Golden State, defending champions, we know how great they are on their home floor over the years. To withstand that, it’s another good step for our ball club.”