LOS ANGELES _ George Mikan. Elgin Baylor. Wilt Chamberlain. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaquille O'Neal.
Now, Anthony Davis.
Los Angeles Lakers history is filled with big men who dazzled their fans and terrified opponents, and on Tuesday night Davis joined their very exclusive club. They are the only players in Lakers history to have scored at least 40 points in a game in which they also grabbed 20 rebounds.
Davis scored 40 points with 20 rebounds Tuesday night with two blocks, while playing only three quarters as the Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-91. The Lakers improved to 3-1 for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Davis made seven of 17 of his field-goal attempts and 26 of the 27 free throws he attempted, setting a franchise record for made free throws in a game. LeBron James added 23 points with eight assists and two rebounds.
Dwight Howard had previously held the Lakers' record for most made free throws in a game, and he was Davis's most visible cheerleader in the closing minutes of the third quarter, as the Grizzlies knocked Davis over, fell on him, grabbed his arms or did whatever they could to try and slow his monstrous day. None of it worked.
Davis scored 20 points in the third quarter _ 18 of them on free throws.
The crowd roared louder each time a whistle blew and Davis went to the line. Howard egged them on when they did, amplifying the cacophony.
By the end of the third, Davis had so thoroughly dominated the Grizzlies that there was no need to keep him in the game. On his back, the Lakers had outscored the Grizzlies 39-20 in the third.
Davis did all this despite playing with soreness in his right shoulder.
He sustained a minor injury that caused that discomfort during Sunday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. After the game, Davis denied anything was wrong with his shoulder, despite a report to the contrary.
During a pre-game news conference on Wednesday, Lakers Coach Frank Vogel there was a chance he would miss the game.
Davis was cleared to play, but the specter of a potential shoulder injury loomed throughout the game. After the first quarter in which he scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Davis retreated to the locker room to have his shoulder re-taped, before finishing the half. He played 18 minutes and 34 seconds, scoring 20 points, with 12 rebounds, an assist and a block by halftime.
During one moment in the third quarter, Davis fell on his right shoulder after being fouled. When Howard helped him up, Davis offered only his left arm, presumably to avoid aggravating his right shoulder.
For a second game in a row, though, the Lakers couldn't pull away from an opponent with low expectations for the season. The Grizzlies opened the game with a 15-2 run for a 13-point lead that was the Grizzlies' largest of the game. At halftime Memphis trailed 49-47.
The third quarter changed the story of the game and gave him a milestone his new team.
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Injury update
Kyle Kuzma will travel with the Lakers on their upcoming road trip, Vogel said. Kuzma has been out since he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left ankle this August. During the past week, he has steadily increased his daily activity in hopes of returning to the court during the road trip. The Lakers will play games in Dallas on Friday, San Antonio on Sunday and Chicago on Tuesday.
Kuzma said he has noticed ways in which he can help while sitting out.
"Just being a scorer," Kuzma said. "That's what I do. A lot of things people don't think I can do I worked on this summer. People are kind of gonna see me being that guy, not just a scorer off the ball but being able to handle the ball and get to my spots, raising up, shooting. Just being that creator. Not just a scoring creator, but creating to my teammates and my overall game."
