Anthony Davis’ 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks helped the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 117-112 in Game 1 of their second-round series. Davis played every single minute of the second half and blocked a layup by Stephen Curry in the final 90 seconds to help the Lakers win. The Lakers now have home-court advantage for the second consecutive Western Conference playoff series.
Davis’ performance was historic, as he joined Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Elgin Baylor as the only players in Lakers history to record a 30-20 game in the playoffs. LeBron James praised him, saying that Davis will have his jersey retired in the rafters when he’s done playing.
Davis’ teammates did well off his feeds, shooting 5-for-5. Meanwhile, the Warriors went 4-for-17 on shots that Davis contested, with Golden State shooting 40.6% from the field overall in Game 1. Lakers guard Dennis Schroder called Davis the anchor of the team.
After Davis missed 20 games in the middle of the season due to a bone chip and stress reaction in his foot, the Lakers were careful about his workload, playing him in only one back-to-back since his return to the lineup and generally managing his minutes. Lakers coach Darvin Ham said they did that to save Davis for the postseason.
Davis struggled in the fourth quarter, going 1-for-5, but his greatness more than made up for James’ off shooting night and relatively quiet performances from first-round standouts Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Lakers coach Ham said the team needs to stay humble and respect their opponents, as there is still a lot of work left to be done.
The Lakers will face the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday, where Davis is expected to continue to be aggressive.
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