With the Golden State Warriors playing their small ball lineup pretty often, it was expected of Anthony Davis to have an incredible performance in the Lakers’ second-round clash. However, one wouldn’t predict that AD would go on to lodge a stat line that was last recorded by Shaquille O’Neal in franchise history.
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Playing a game-high 43:50 minutes, the Brow erupted for a 30-point scoring rampage. Further, the former Kentucky Wildcat grabbed 23 rebounds, dished 5 assists, and swatted away 4 blocks. Recording his first 30/20 game in the postseason, David helped LeBron James in leading the Purple & Gold in clinching a 117-112 win over Stephen Curry and co.
Apart from joining the likes of Tim Duncan as the only players in NBA Playoff history to put up those numbers, the 6-foot-10 big man also joins the history books of the Lakers franchise.
Shaquille O’Neal praises Anthony Davis for achieving impressive feat
After his historic production last night, the 30-year-old superstar became the first Laker since Shaq to record a 30/20 playoff game.
There were a lot of social media users who ended up drawing comparisons between AD and O’Neal.
While some legends might take offense to players being compared to them, the Big Aristotle tipped his hat to Anthony. Reposting a story on his Instagram, the Hall-Of-Famer praised the 2020 NBA champ. The graphic read:
AD out there looking like @shaq
As crazy as it sounds, the Diesel had 9 30/20 games in the postseason during his stint with the California-based franchise. His final 30/20 game for the franchise occurred on June 13th, where he would go on to drop 36 points and 20 rebounds in the 8-point Game 4 loss against the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals.
AD needs to consistently deliver such performances
No doubt, the 3-time block champ had a magnificent night. However, Davis needs to find a way to be consistent.
As seen in the Lakers’ first-round clash against the Memphis Grizzlies, the 8-time All-Star’s productivity would dip after erupting for a huge night.
Have a look at his Game-wise stats from the first round:
Having already come back from a 0-2 series deficit, we know that this Warriors group is a resilient squad. No lead is safe against the San Francisco-based franchise. Hence, AD cannot afford to have any off nights. LeBron and co. would hope that Davis stuffs the stat sheet as he did in Game 1 in the upcoming contests as well.
