LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla – LeBron James missed seven of the eleven shots he scored in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-88 Game 2 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. His 10 points on Thursday were the fewest he has ever won in his 241 career playoffs.
It helps to have a teammate like Anthony Davis.
In the 1-1 draw in the first round of the LA Western Conference, Davis led all scorers with 31 points in 13v21 (including 3v4 of 3) and had 11 rebounds, 3 assists, one Steal and make a block in 29 minutes. It was the first time a Lakers player had scored more than 30 points in less than 30 minutes since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did so in 1987. This is based on research by the Elias Sports Bureau.
“I’ve had some great team-mates in my career,” said James. “AD is one of those unicorns and he’s doing things that some of my other great teammates can’t.”
James quickly mentioned Dwyane Wade, with whom he won two championships in the Miami Heat, and Kyrie Irving, with whom he co-won a ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as Davis’ elite company. But the point was clear: Davis is as dominant a runner as any gamer could hope for.
As effective as Davis was offensively – he made up for a shaky 8v24 shot in Game 1 – his defense defended a Portland team that averaged 126 points in the seeding round to a season low of 88 Points at 40%. Shoot.
Although Lakers coach Frank Vogel stuck to the same starting line-up as at the beginning of the series, he put Davis in the middle on Thursday – with great effect. LA beat Portland by 15 points in the 15 minutes Davis played the 5, and Davis scored 22 of his 31 points that stint, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The most amazing impact with Davis in the middle, however, was that, according to Second Spectrum, Portland shot only 5:22 off the field while Davis occupied the middle.
“We’re competing at a very high level,” said Vogel after his team’s undoubtedly best performance since arriving in Florida. “The care factor on the defensive side of the ball is where it should be for the playoffs to win the playoffs. We have tremendous, tremendous respect for the offensive firepower of the basketball team we play.”
Davis has even greater respect for James, who was instrumental in bringing us to LA. James told ESPN in December 2018 that it would be “amazing” and “incredible” if the Lakers could somehow acquire the eclectic tall man.
A deal between the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans was agreed six months later, and Davis and James teamed up to lift the Lakers franchise through a renaissance season on the court, albeit as an attempt.
“I mean, it started from the training camp, through the preseason, traveling abroad, until the beginning of the new year, the tragic death of Kobe [Bryant] and those victims in that helicopter until the end of the season until players get injured [Rajon] Rondo is rebooting for a big chunk of the year and doesn’t have our brother Avery Bradley here, “said James.” And so on. I do not even know. It just feels like three or four different seasons have passed [in one]So I know what we are capable of. I know how we’re built “
James knew Davis would have more to give than him on Thursday when the number 8 blazers pissed off Team No. 1 in the West at the start of the series.
“I was really on my own after Game 1,” said Davis. “I didn’t feel like I got to the level I needed. And he let me have my moment and kind of get on my own, and then he talked to me and said I was fine.
“He said it was a game and as a man who has won several championships and has been in situations like this before, he knows what to expect. He knew what to expect from his team-mates and he was just to me there to encourage me. ” I keep myself level-headed. Because it was just a game. “
Thursday’s game was a win the Lakers had been waiting for a long, long time. It had been more than eight years – 3,016 days to be precise – since the franchise won a playoff game on May 18, 2012.
Davis was in college then. James was well on his way to his first title with the Heat. Now they’re together, trying to rack up 15 more wins in the bubble to bring the Lakers their first championship in a decade.
“Our relationship has been great all season,” Davis said of James. “I just leaned on him all season and just tried to figure out the tricks [of the] Trade to play with a man like him and a team like this. … He was somehow there for me and supported me and guided me through this whole process. “
After James’ pep talk was given after Game 1, communication was cut, leading to a notice on Thursday.
“He didn’t say a word to me today,” said Davis. “He was kind of, I mean, he kind of knew. He saw the look on my face from the start.”
However, James reported after the game.
“Tonight,” said James, “AD was great.”
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