LOS ANGELES – The Philadelphia 76ers gave the first-place Los Angeles Lakers a run for their money in the first half of Tuesday game against the Staples Center. Still, the shorthanded squad couldn't hold back LeBron James and Anthony Davis as they proceeded to dismantle Philadelphia in the second half.
Although it was Davis who stole the show with an incredible all-around performance finishing the game with 37 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks, James had arguably the highlight of the night. LeBron once again pulled up from near halfcourt for a Stephen Curry-like three-pointer and drained it with relative ease.
After the game, LeBron's deep three was all anyone could talk about, including Davis. The Lakers forward was asked what his confidence level is in James, who is not known for his shooting prowess, attempting three-pointer from that distance.
“Very confident,” Davis said. “He's made plenty of those against me in my career before I got here, so I know if it goes up, it has a high percentage of going in. He works on those shots. Any shot that he works on, I'm very confident that he makes, especially when in a rhythm like that. A lot of teams don't think he will make it, or it's a good shot for him, but he makes it more than he misses.”
Ironically enough, it was Davis that really made an impression from deep against the Sixers on Tuesday night. The Lakers newcomer went 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, creating havoc for a Philadelphia squad that couldn't contain him in the paint, let alone on the perimeter.
James also talked about his long three and how he's comfortable taking that kind of shot because he knows his teammates see him putting in work from that range in practice. LeBron once again insists that he wouldn't do anything on the floor that he hasn't been working on.
“Because my teammates see me work on it a lot,” LeBron said. “I know I'm putting in the work on it. I don't take any shots that I don't work on. I've never done it in my career. I feel like I work on it, and I trust my mechanics, and I'm able to let it fly with confidence no matter what's going on with the shot clock.”
The real question moving forward is how will his teammates and the Lakers coaching staff feel if James is missing those risky shots during a crucial playoff game. A relatively meaningless regular-season game against a shorthanded opponent is one thing, but doing it in the postseason is another thing entirely.
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