LeBron James was tired.
But he wanted to talk about Anthony Davis.
“It’s a treat for us to have such a dynamic player,” James said.
After playing 40 grueling minutes in the Lakers’ 117–112 win against Golden State in Tuesday’s Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, James was weary.
But he still wanted to talk about Davis.
Jeff Chiu/AP
“[He can] not only go out and get you 30 and 20, but [he can] command the paint defensively,” James said.
With Game 2 of what figures to be a competitive series less than 48 hours away, James was ready for bed.
But he still wanted the assembled reporters to know how he felt about Davis.
“[AD’s] No. 3 will be up in the rafters,” James said. “He continues to show why he’s one of the best players we have in this league.”
From a seat alongside him, Davis smiled behind a pair of dark sunglasses before patting James on the shoulder.
“I’ll take my watch next week,” James said. “Or a car.”
"AD will be up there when he's done playing. The number 3 will be up in the rafters" 🤝
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 3, 2023
LeBron on AD's historic 30-20 Game 1 performance pic.twitter.com/Hl1BZkkgWe
James’s praise was lavish. Effusive. And deserved. Davis didn’t just play well in Game 1 against the Warriors. He dominated. He scored 30 points. He corralled 23 rebounds. He blocked four shots in 44 minutes—while playing all 24 minutes in the second half—and altered countless more. With Davis patrolling the middle, Golden State was limited to 40.6% shooting.
“With Davis in the paint, you’re not going to get anything easy at the rim,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Indeed. The Lakers scored 54 points in the paint Tuesday. The Warriors mustered just 28. When Golden State’s perimeter players attacked the basket, they did so knowing Davis was there protecting it. When they did put up shots, Davis was often there to redirect them. The Warriors were 4-for-17 on Tuesday on shots Davis contested.
“You gotta respect it,” Stephen Curry said. “That’s how he made an impact on that end of the floor.”
For some, Davis’s play was surprising. It shouldn’t be. This is who Davis has been since late January, when he returned from injury and steered the Lakers from the lottery to the play-in tournament. He batted back questions about his durability by playing in all but three games—precautionary, team-ordered absences in back-to-back situations—after returning to the lineup. He played through twisted ankles, sore hips and a numb shoulder. When James was sidelined with a late-season foot injury, Davis stepped up.
“AD is just not your average, traditional big guy,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “He can face up, he can play with his back to the basket, he can play out the pick and roll, he can handle and have small sets of screens for him, and then what he does on the defensive side of the ball is second to none.”
Ham has been a vocal supporter of Davis. The Lakers’ success, Ham often declared, was tied to Davis’s. Before Game 1, Ham’s message to Davis was succinct: Dominate on both ends. Davis did. He made nine of his first 10 shots, a mix of midrange jump shots, short hooks and put-backs. He battled Kevon Looney on the glass. In the final minute, he blocked a Curry runner. In the closing seconds, he rebounded a Jordan Poole miss.
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Said Ham, “His ability to change shots, block shots and then still gather the rebounds, that’s rare company.”
Really rare. Davis’s performance put him in a club with Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Elgin Baylor as the only players in team history to record a 30–20 game in the playoffs.
"The guys gave the ball to me in the right spots," Davis said. "A lot of it came out of pick-and-roll, post-ups, some offensive rebounds. Just being aggressive when I do catch [the ball], looking to score, looking to play-make to the other guys."
For the Lakers, this can’t be a one-off. Golden State will adjust. Play smaller. Faster. The Warriors made 21 three-pointers Tuesday. The Lakers survived it because of a wide free throw disparity (25–5) and Davis. The Warriors are deeper than the Lakers. Its core has been together longer. For L.A. to win Game 2, Davis will again need to be at his best.
“It’s going to be a different game," Davis said. “They’re going to make adjustments. We’re going to make adjustments. The building will be probably a little bit louder. Obviously, they don’t want to go down 0–2. The crowd will be more into it. ... I’m going to continue to be aggressive.”
