The Los Angeles Lakers snapped their five-game losing streak with a 13-point victory over the Brooklyn Nets and without a doubt the best player on the court was Anthony Davis. The Lakers’ star big man was dominant on the night, finishing with 37 points and 18 rebounds in the victory.
What stood out the most for Davis was his aggression from the outset. He continually attacked the paint with only two of his 25 shot attempts coming away from the basket. Additionally, 10 of his 18 rebounds were on the offensive glass as he took advantage of a Nets team that lacks size overall.
And that was the plan from the beginning as Davis knew he had an advantage inside against Brooklyn. “Just trying to get to the paint and score inside, knowing that they had limited shot-blocking,” Davis said following the Lakers win.
“When we set the screen, our guards take downhill and attack [Nic] Claxton and [Markieff] Morris. Just put it on the rim. They miss, they have a guard only, so I have a chance for an opportunity to offensive rebound and get a score there. So just trying to be dominant in the paint.”
The plan worked to perfection as Brooklyn had no one to deal with Davis. Claxton is the team’s only true big and he ultimately had to leave the game in the second half due to an eye contusion. With the former Laker Markieff Morris and Kevin Durant now the only players with some size, Davis had his way inside.
It also helped that, for the most part, the Nets were not double-teaming Davis. The Lakers star’s mindset was simple with that being the case.
“Be aggressive,” Davis said when asked about seeing single coverage. “And when I seen that they wasn’t doubling, my mindset was go score the ball… So that’s all it was. If I see a single coverage, I’ll try and go and attack and make the right play.”
This version of Anthony Davis is exactly what the Lakers need going forward regardless of whether LeBron James is in the lineup or not. While the Nets were the perfect matchup for him to exploit, the mindset is something that can carry forward and that player gives the Lakers a chance to win on most nights.
Anthony Davis motivated by Packers comeback victory
Despite being from Chicago, it is well known that Davis is not a Bears fan, but rather a diehard fan of their biggest rival, the Green Bay Packers. And with his team getting a huge comeback victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon, Davis got a little extra motivation.
“I was watching the [Green Bay] Packers game before today,” Davis said. “Aaron Rodgers threw a slant to Allen Lazard… Got me some motivation before the game so trying to dominate. Be dominant, knowing that we got to get this win, especially with Bron out.
A lot of guys lean on me to try to get the job done. I mean everybody played well tonight. Guys make shots got, guys locked into the game plan defensively. Came out with another great third quarter. We didn’t end it well but overall, the third quarter was pretty good. And I just want to do my part.”
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