JaVale McGee Owns Garbage Time vs. Pelicans, Compares Himself to Anthony Davis

DENVER — During the Denver Nuggets' 117-97 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, one that extended Denver's winning streak to three games, two big men put up pretty impressive statistical lines. See if you can figure out which one is Anthony Davis, unquestioned NBA superstar and current MVP candidate, and which is JaVale McGee, Shaqtin' a Fool mainstay and rim-protecting character.  

• Candidate A: 14 points (6-of-6 shooting), eight rebounds, one steal, two blocks, two turnovers
• Candidate B: 18 points (7-of-17 shooting), nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, two blocks, four turnovers

It's a fairly even battle, right? 

Candidate A's performance is probably the more impressive one, though most of his production came in garbage time after the Nuggets had opened up a rather large margin. He scored 12 of his points during the fourth quarter, which Denver opened with a 13-point lead against a disheartened bunch of Pelicans. The margin had blossomed to 23 points with under seven minutes remaining by the time he was done scoring.

Yes, the first of the two options was McGee's line on the night, and it prompted the big man to deliver a gem of a quote in the locker room. 

"

JaVale has been fun in garbage time.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) November 22, 2014"

"Anthony Davis and me are very similar players," the big man explained while keeping a straight face. "He just has more opportunities. It's definitely a good thing when my teammates find me with simple alley-oops." 

Let's allow McGee to have his moment in the sun. 

It's not every day that the 7-footer is going to outplay the 21-year-old superstar (at least in terms of his final line, though not necessarily his impact on the game). For that matter, not many players have been able to make Davis look inferior at any point during the young 2014-15 campaign, much less one coming off the bench for a sub-.500 team.

Additionally, Davis didn't have a chance to kiss an elderly fan on the sidelines after falling into the crowd, though the Denver big man admitted afterward that he didn't get either the name or number of "his boo." 

USA TODAY Sports

McGee's statement is correct...kind of.

Davis does get more opportunities. That is undeniably true. So too is the positive nature of the Nuggets finding their backup center right around the rim for an easy slam. And in some ways, the two centers really are similar players. They both block shots quite frequently, intimidate smaller players who make the mistake of venturing into the paint and can finish plays around the basket by bringing down the hammer. 

But Davis, who possesses more defensive versatility and a well-rounded offensive game, is light years ahead of McGee, and that's a statement that doesn't even need support. Just put on tape of any game in which either has played, and you can ascertain the difference pretty quickly. 

Nonetheless, go ahead and mark this date—Friday, Nov. 21—in the record books. It's the night McGee played well enough to feel comfortable equating himself to Davis, a young man who defies historical comparisons on a nightly basis. 

Note: All quotes were obtained firsthand.