Anthony Davis Carries Lakers Against Spurs as LeBron James Still Watches on Sideline
The Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis dropped 34 points against the San Antonio Spurs, carrying his LeBron James-less team to a 114-106 victory at Staples Center.
AD, Lakers Bounce Back After Suffering From a Loss
According to Bleacher Report, after coming from a disappointing loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the LA Lakers bounced back against the young Spurs team to add another mark to the winning column. Anthony Davis did not only drop big numbers in scoring; he also grabbed 15 monster rebounds and dished 6 dimes.
The Lakers' win placed them in a batter position as they improved to 8-6 on the season, while the Spurs dropped to 4-9. The game at home on Sunday was LA's sixth consecutive contest without "The King" LeBron James, who suffered an abdominal injury in a November 2 win over the rebuilding team, Houston Rockets.
The expected gunners for the Lakers, Russell Westbrook and AD, continued to be significant factors for the Purple and Gold squad with James sidelined.
Aside from the remaining members of the Lakers 360 big three, Wayne Ellington and Malik Monk also stepped up against the Spurs.
Despite not having James on the floor, there was no problem for Davis, who had one of his best games of the season for the Lakers on Sunday afternoon.
The Purple And Gold Squad Shows Up at Home
The 28-year-old Lakers' big man was impressive in the first half, finishing with 27 points on 12-of-16 shooting. AD had six dunks, five rebounds, seven assists, and a steal before halftime to help the Lakers take a 60-55 lead before they headed to the locker room.
However, Davis was less effective in the second half, but it did not become a problem for the Lakers as Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Talen Horton-Tucker stepped up. Davis only tallied seven points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the second half, but his supporting cast did much of the heavy lifting in the second half.
The Lakers guard, Russell Westbrook, finished the second half with eight points, seven rebounds, and two assists, while Anthony and Tucker combined for 21 points to help the Lakers secure the win.
Melo had a better performance against the Spurs after only finishing Friday's game against the Timberwolves with just three points, five rebounds, and one assist in 23 minutes of action.
With James still on the sideline, the contribution of Melo was very critical for the Lakers. Melo needed to contribute on the offensive end in the absence of The King's contribution. The Lakers signed the veteran to provide depth off the bench, but they received so much from Melo as he had been solid so far this year.
Anthony entered the game on Sunday with an average of 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and one assist per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 46.6 percent from the three-point territory.
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Written by: Jess Smith
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