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Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Davis’ dominant display vs. Thunder

By Gabriel Saavedra

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the first half of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on November 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the first half of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on November 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers’ two-game stint against the Thunder was a lot closer than they should have been. Thanks to Anthony Davis, the Lakers were able to pull out the wins. Although, the team was inconsistent, but made plays when they were needed.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were quite the matchup for Los Angeles Lakers in game two. It came down to the wire, and the team managed to leave OKC with the win. Overall it was a sloppy game from the team, especially LeBron James, who did not play up to par with the standards he has set for himself.

Anthony Davis, however, shined bright. Hitting the clutch free throws at the end of the game and putting up a monster 33 points and 11 rebounds. AD has been a consistent free throw shooter for this Lakers team. Making all 11 of his shots from the charity stripe.

Not only did he perform offensively. He did the same defensively. It may not look like that on the stat sheet, but AD disrupted shots all game and fought for jump balls. At the start of this young season, AD still looks to have his sights set on being the defensive player of the year.

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LeBron, however, had a very mediocre game. Besides the fact that he dished out 14 assists, he wasn’t very aggressive offensively. This almost led to the Lakers losing the game, as he went for iso plays the last couple of plays of the game. Each ending up in a turnover or missed shot.

LeBron also had a very weak game defensively. Giving up on some plays, and even letting a couple of players zoom past him to the bucket. Not to the degree of last year’s defense but it sure was not nearly as good as his defense from earlier games this year.  He still managed to score 23 points on the night.

The rest of the team felt inconsistent at times, which led to a lot of weak defense throughout the entire game. I mean, the Lakers gave up 127 points to the Thunder. Not at all a good look for one of the best defensive teams in the league. They are going to have to pick it up again.

KCP has been a surprising player since Avery Bradley‘s injury. Even tonight he scored 17 points and is making the right plays throughout the game. It’s quite the turnaround from the KCP we saw earlier in the season.

Danny Green woke up from three tonight. Hitting 4/6 of his three-point attempts and notching himself 14 points. Kyle Kuzma had a lackluster game with only 10 points on the night.

The big men, although not putting up huge numbers, were still effective tonight. Both staying hot defensively by challenging shots a ton. JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard deserve some praise for keeping this team alive defensively when AD or LeBron sits.

Lakers will be in elite company after 25 games. dark. Next

Although not a pretty win, it is still a win nonetheless. The Los Angeles Lakers are going to have to pick it up and get back to being the number one defensive team in the league. They play the Grizzlies tomorrow on their first back to back of the season.

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