Anthony Davis tallied half of his 42 points and 23 rebounds in the first quarter against Charlotte last night. The Brow’s hot start spurred the Lakers to a 39-19 lead at the end of the opening period and his teammate Austin Reaves couldn’t help but rave about the veteran’s performance during the post-game presser.
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“That might be the most impressive quarter of basketball I’ve seen an individual play,” AR15 told Spectrum SportsNet. “I felt like we almost could have went and sat down and watched him do what he does.”
Along with three free throws, Davis sunk 9 of his 12 shot attempts during the first quarter. AD’s touch was contagious as his team converted 12 of their first 14 shot attempts. The Lakers, despite winning by just 5 points, were +16 during Davis’ minutes.
“Miles Bridges on the court was talking about them needing to guard him some other way and I kind of just told him that there’s no really good way to guard AD. He’s so versatile and skill is through the roof. Makes tough shots, gets to the rim, gets fouled,” Reaves commented on the Brow’s offense.
Austin Reaves on AD’s 1st Q: “That might be the most impressive quarter of basketball I’ve seen an individual play.” pic.twitter.com/TE1sJjlpBX
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 28, 2025
The nine-time All-Star was sure to reciprocate the praise from Reaves after the game. “My teammates did a good job setting me up, especially Austin. I mean, all facets of the game were working,” Davis shared.
AD also tallied 2 blocks in the opening period, making the Hornets think twice about attacking the rim. That would make all the difference in the end as the Lakers outscored their opponents 66-46 in the paint. They especially needed Davis’ inside presence due to their dismal 6 of 28 shooting from long-range.
Even with a sub-22% efficiency on their three-pointers and 16 turnovers committed, JJ Redick’s side pulled off their fourth straight win by beating the Hornets at Spectrum Center. “He put in two days of work. Just carried us all night,” LA’s head coach admitted after Davis became only the second player since 1996 to record 20 points and 10 rebounds in one quarter.
The Brow has dominated throughout the first month of the new year, averaging 26.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 blocks in January. Bolstered by his performances, the Lakers are now 8 games over .500, their best record of the season thus far.
However, what’s interesting is how just a few days ago, Davis was in the headlines requesting his team to trade for a center. “I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the 4, having a big out there,” the 31-year-old told ESPN’s Shams Charania last week.
Since making that comment, the veteran superstar has played three games as his team’s starting five and averaged 34 points and 14.7 rebounds. As such, it might be hard to imagine how Davis can perform any better as a power forward.
But if there is indeed another level he can take his game to, the Lakers would be wise to invest in that prospect. They are expected to be active before the February 6th trade deadline as they look to lock in for the second half of the season and make a deep Playoff run.
