While they began the 2022-23 season with a 2-10 record, the Los Angeles Lakers have begun to turn things around in large part thanks to Anthony Davis and his monumental contributions on the floor.
Having numerous 30-point double-double performances near the end of November, Davis put together one of his best games of his career on Sunday night against the Washington Wizards with 55 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Not only did Davis become the first Lakers’ player with a 50-point, 15-rebound game on 70 percent shooting since Wilt Chamberlain in 1969, but according to NBA Historyhe is the first player to total 99 points, 27 rebounds, and 6 blocks in a 2-game span since blocks became official in 1973-74.
Only nine other players in league history have recorded at least 55 points and 17 rebounds in a game and Anthony Davis now puts himself on a list with Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Shaquille O’Neal and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“This doesn’t surprise me,” Davis told Fox Sports. “This is what I’m supposed to be doing. This is what I know I’m capable of doing. It’s not a thing where I’m excited how I’m playing. It’s like a, ‘This is what I’m supposed to do’ feeling. I have high expectations of myself, so when I don’t play how I want to play, I’m my own biggest critic.
“But if I continue to keep playing like this, and if our team continues to keep playing like this, we could be really good.”
The Los Angeles Lakers now find themselves 10-12 on the season and they have won eight of their last ten games. They are one of the hottest teams in the league right now and Los Angeles has truly made up for what was a terrible start to the new season.
There is still a lot of work to be done in order for the Lakers to work their way back into the playoff picture and into the championship conversation, but performances like this one on Sunday night from Anthony Davis will go a long way in reshaping the future for the Lakers.
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