LeBron James and Anthony Davis did their usual work in the Los Angeles Lakers’ fifth consecutive win in a 103-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
However, one of the biggest storylines from this contest was Dwight Howard‘s excellent performance, something that’s becoming a trend from the embattled veteran.
In just 21 minutes, Howard recorded 14 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks to help lead the Lakers to another win. In the process, he also shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the field, bringing field goal percentage to nearly 80 percent for the 2019-20 NBA season. Players and fans alike are starting to take notice of Howard’s impressive play and this includes James.
James spoke about what Howard has done for the team early on this season, saying that against the Spurs he was ‘huge’ and ‘vintage,’ something that many thought would never happen for him again, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers:
LeBron on Howard: “Dwight Howard was huge. Every minute that he played, it was a great performance by him, crashing the glass, catching lobs, and getting great strips defensively, and giving us extra possessions. He was vintage tonight.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 4, 2019
Howard is really making a name for himself in the early going for the Lakers and has already supplanted JaVale McGee as the team’s go-to center. While he hasn’t replaced him in the starting lineup just yet, Howard got 21 minutes against the Spurs while McGee only garnered 11, something that has become a trend in recent games.
Howard is also starting to play big-time minutes, as he was in the game during crunch time when the Spurs tied the game at 90 over halfway through the final quarter.
Whether Howard can keep this level of play up remains to be seen, but James giving him props will likely go a long way towards motivating him to do so.