Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis came from having the biggest game of his career to having one of his most bizarre performances.
After leading the Purple and Gold in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals with his career-defining game-winner at the buzzer, AD followed it up with a strong 27-point output on 9-of-17 shooting in Game 3 on Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets.
But here’s the odd part: He only grabbed two rebounds in 43 minutes. Not to mention, those two boards didn’t come until the last few minutes of the 4th quarter. Yes, he had zero rebounds in the first three quarters. The 6’10” All-Star was even outrebounded by his much smaller teammates in Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who had four and three, respectively.
According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Anthony Davis’ two-carom output is the fewest he’s ever had in a game where he played at least 30 minutes.
Prior to tonight, AD, who was runner-up to Giannis Antetokounmpo for Defensive Player of the Year, was averaging a team-high 10.6 rebounds in this year’s NBA Playoffs, including 9.5 in their first two games against the Nuggets.
The Lakers, who averaged 49 rebounds in their first two meetings, only had 25 boards in Game 3. In comparison, the Nuggets grabbed 44 rebounds with five players collecting at least six caroms each.
The Lakers made a furious rally in the endgame led by LeBron James and Rajon Rondo, but the Nuggets’ 20-point cushion was enough to survive and take the hard-earned win, 114-106 to inch closer in the series, 2-1.
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