The Los Angeles Lakers, led by forwards LeBron James and Jarred Vanderbilt, started Game 4 in a dominating fashion even with their best player in the last three games, Anthony Davis, missing all of his shots.
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Ja Morant and Co were down 15 at one point second quarter, but by halftime, the Lakers’ lead was down to just two. While his other teammates were efficient (not as much from the 3-point line) from the field, AD was 0-5 going into the 3rd quarter.
And so, Inside the NBA did not miss their opportunity to troll the Lakers big man.
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley Question Anthony Davis’ Consistency
Speaking about the fact that AD would be the key to the Lakers’ post-season success, Charles Barkley spoke about how inconsistent Davis is for a centerpiece to the Lakers to a championship.
That is when Shaquille O’Neal called him out on his poor shooting.
“0-5 will not get it done,” said the 4x NBA Champion. “Can’t even come into the locker room with that.”
Charles Barkley: “The key to their team is Anthony Davis and he’s so inconsistent”
Shaq: “0-5 will not get it done.”
Chuck: “Come on, man.”
Shaq: “Can’t even come into the locker room with that.”
Los Angeles Lakers pic.twitter.com/7G3q9GbeSh
— Oh no he didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) April 25, 2023
In the whole third quarter, Davis attempted just three more shots, converting just one of them, and had 4 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks by the end of the 3rd quarter.
Davis stayed quiet the whole Game 4 until the very end
Until the very end of regulation, The Brow could not buy a bucket for all he wanted. However, his defense was still on point throughout the game.
Although in all of the fourth quarter AD attempted just two more shots to add to his tally of 2-off-8, his block on Ja Morant at the end of regulation that sent the game to OT was compensation for his poor efficiency.
ANTHONY DAVIS BLOCK ON JA MORANT TO SEND IT TO OVERTIME pic.twitter.com/xRV4qxquvT
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) April 25, 2023
And once he got that crucial block, he did help the Lakers take the lead on Grizzlies by making a lay-up in one play and converting a free throw on the next.
His tip-in on Austin Reaves’ miss with just over 1 minute remaining in the game gave the Lakers a 3-point lead while his stat line showed 12 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks as the Lakers took 3-1 lead in the series with a 117-111 win.
