The Los Angeles Lakers’ 130-119 victory over the Washington Wizards was not only a huge win for the team, but a historic night for Anthony Davis.
Historic Feat
Davis has been playing some of the best basketball of his career in the past two weeks. But, Sunday night against the Wizards takes the cake. He led his team to victory with 55 points and 17 rebounds.
His 55-point game comes just one game after his 44-point game against the Milwaukee Bucks. These back-to-back games put him in an elusive club.
- Davis became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2013 to have back-to-back 40-point games.
- He joins Shaquille O’Neal as the only two Lakers to score at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in two games.
- Joins a list of 10 NBA players in history who has scored 55 points with 17 rebounds. The list consists of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Karl Anthony Towns.
- Became the second player in NBA history with 55 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks after Kevin McHale.
Darvin Hams’ Plan
The success of this Lakers team has always been dependent on how well LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Davis play. During training camp, head coach Darvin Ham emphasized just how important Davis is to this team saying, “This is not going to work without AD. No disrespect to Bron, no disrespect to Russ. They’re going to be who they are… but AD, having AD available…. it’s going to be invaluable. He’s the centerpiece to that championship table we’re trying to build.”
The Lakers have won eight of their last 12 games. Davis has played in 11 of the 12 games. He is averaging 32.7 points per game, which is the best statistical stretch of his career. Over the course of the season, he is number one in the NBA for rebounds, averaging 12.8 a game.
If Davis can remain healthy for the majority of the season, he has the potential to help turn his team around. Although they still have to worry about the team’s all-around size and shooting ability, if they want to make a real playoff push.
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