LeBron James wasn't in the building as his Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Anthony Davis more than picked up the slack in a crucial contest for the standings.
AD posted 30 points and 22 rebounds on 11-of-17 shooting from the field. His impact was felt in all areas of the floor, particularly in the fourth quarter when he shut the door on the Grizzlies for good.
The Lakers secure the win against the Grizzlies as Anthony Davis DOMINATED tonight 😤
30 points
22 rebounds
3 assists
2 blocks11-of-17 FG
7-of-9 FT pic.twitter.com/xNTGgQKB91— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 8, 2023
LeBron was clearly impressed. The Lakers frontman, who's currently nursing a foot injury that's kept him on the sidelines, tweeted out in celebration of Davis' monster performance.
YESSIR!!!!! #LakeShow @AntDavis23 you’re a ANIMAL!!! 😤😤😤
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 8, 2023
The usually predatory Grizzlies turned into prey against Anthony Davis, who continued to pressure Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr. into foul trouble all evening.
The Lakers' supporting case also stepped up with Dennis Schroder, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura tallying 17 points apiece to flank AD's 30-point effort.
The win was massive for LA's playoff hopes. They went from 12th in the standings to begin the night to now holding solo possession of the 9-seed. As things stand, only three games separate the 5th placed Dallas Mavericks with the 13th placed Utah Jazz. Should the Lakers go on a late-season tear, there's an outside shot that not only do they get a top-end play-in seed, but mess around and wrangle a guaranteed playoff spot in the West's top six.
Given how tightly packed the race is at the moment, it's still an uphill battle for LA to make it. But Lakers fans are surely more optimistic about their chances now than they were just a few weeks back.
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