Anthony Davis Drops 40 Points, 20 Rebounds as Lakers Beat Ja Morant, Grizzlies
Anthony Davis dropped 40 points and 20 rebounds in only 31 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to their third straight win after beating the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 120-91 on Tuesday at Staples Center.
Davis, who sat out the entire fourth quarter, set numerous records and joined lofty company with his dominant night:
The Lakers outscored the Grizzlies by 34 points over the final three quarters thanks in part to Davis' efforts.
Los Angeles has rebounded nicely after losing its opener against the L.A. Clippers 112-102. The Lakers have since beaten the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets and Grizzlies by an average of 19 points.
The Grizzlies fell to 1-3.
Notable Performances
Lakers F Anthony Davis: 40 points, 20 rebounds
Lakers G/F LeBron James: 23 points, 8 assists
Grizzlies PG Ja Morant: 16 points, 3 rebounds
Grizzlies C Jonas Valanciunas: 14 points, 11 rebounds
Grizzlies PF Jaren Jackson Jr.: 7 points, 6 rebounds
Davis Posts Early Candidate for NBA's Best Individual Game of the Season
The most remarkable part of Davis' night isn't the fact that he went 26-of-27 from the free-throw line or posted 40 points and 20 rebounds despite sitting the fourth quarter.
Rather, it's that his status was up in the air due to a sore right shoulder, to the point that he tested it during the pregame shootaround:
Davis was good enough to go, but his shoulder didn't miraculously heal. Per Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, the six-time All-Star needed some in-game maintenance:
Even with one healthy shoulder, Davis was an impossible matchup for the Grizzlies, a young and promising team centered around a core that features 20-year-olds Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. He pretty much did whatever he wanted in the paint, including a spinning circus shot off a lob into the lane:
When he wasn't doing tricks, Davis was bulldozing his way into the key for two:
It also doesn't help opponents that the 6'10", 253-pound Davis can glide in transition with ease:
Rob Perez of the Action Network and YES Network basketball analyst (and ex-NBA forward) Richard Jefferson came through with the comments of the night after Davis' dominance:
The NBA season is just one week old, but Davis' 40-point, 20-rebound night in 31 minutes should stand as one of the campaign's best individual performances (if not the best).
Plus, nights like this make the Lakers almost impossible to beat. The Grizzlies are a rebuilding team that very likely won't make the playoffs, but Los Angeles was shorthanded (no Kyle Kuzma or Rajon Rondo) and put the game away after three quarters.
We'll soon find out what a full-strength Lakers team can do. Per head coach Frank Vogel's comments to reporters, Kuzma may be back by the end of the upcoming three-game road trip, which ends Tuesday, Nov. 5. Rondo is day-to-day with a mild calf strain.
What's Next?
Memphis will return home to face the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. The Lakers will visit the Dallas Mavericks on Friday at 9:30 p.m.
