Anthony Davis has had to carry a majority of the team’s offensive and defensive load as LeBron James has been in pain due to left ankle peroneal tendinopathy. Amidst this, the Los Angeles Lakers have fared quite well in February, winning seven out of 10 games. Davis, who has seen a jump in his production since January, has been one of the factors responsible for the Purple & Gold’s success.
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Unfortunately for them, the Los Angeles Lakers weren’t able to emerge victorious tonight. With Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, and Royce O’Neal recording 20-point games each, the Phoenix Suns grabbed a 123-113 win. Following Anthony Davis’ 22-point, 14-rebound double-double performance in the loss, fans are wondering what has his production been against the Suns in the past.
According to StatMuse, AD has averaged 23.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.4 blocks in the 34 games he’s played against the Phoenix Suns across his career. While the forward has struggled from the three-point land (22.5%), he has been extremely efficient from the field (51.7%) and the charity stripe (83.5%).
Before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019, Anthony Davis represented the New Orleans Pelicans for seven seasons. While donning the Pelicans jersey, The Brow played against the Suns 20 times. In these 20 games, the 6ft 10” star averaged 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2 assists, 2.7 blocks, and 1.5 steals. Since joining the LA side, Davis has played 14 games against the Phoenix franchise and averaged 24.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.5 steals.
During his stint with the Pelicans, Davis had a career-high 53 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 5 blocks against the Suns. While playing for the Lakers, the forward currently holds a high of 42 points, 21 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 5 blocks.
The former Kentucky Wildcat has faced the Suns merely once in the postseason. In the five games that Davis suited up in the 2021 first-round clash, Davis had an underwhelming performance, recording 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game in the series.
This 2023-2024 season, including the play-in tournament, the 2020 champ has gone up against Frank Vogel’s team five times. Having been on the floor for 37.6 minutes per game, Davis has recorded 22 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2 blocks per game.
How will Anthony Davis and the Lakers fare against the Suns in the postseason?
After tonight’s contest between the two star-studded teams, there has been a slight change in the standings. The Kevin Durant-led Suns have now improved to a 34-24 record. Thanks to the New Orleans Pelicans’ latest loss, the Suns have jumped up to the 5th spot in the Western Conference standings. Whereas, the Lakers stay at the 9th spot, being lucky that the #10 Warriors (who are only 0.5 games behind) also lost their game tonight.
The Western Conference is as competitive as ever before. With only 4 games differentiating the 5th seed from the 10th seed, there’s a chance that the Lakers and Suns meet each other in the play-in or the first round of the postseason.
Despite having a losing record against the Suns in the postseason, given that AD holds a 14-6 record (as a Pelican) and a 9-4 record (as a Laker), he’ll be confident meeting Devin Booker and co. in the postseason.
