OTOH: I heard Stephen A. Smith say on TV the other day that Davis
wouldn't be able to keep up a big pace every game, and after game 2 it
seems he may have been right. -AL

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Is LeBron James still the biggest threat to the Warriors’ season? Not
after Game 1
NBA playoffs: Anthony Davis has a night for the ages as the Los Angeles
Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of their second-round
series.
>Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis (3) grabs a rebound against Golden
State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) in the second half of Game 1 of the
NBA basketball Western Conference semifinal playoff series at the Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Nhat V.
Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
By CURTIS PASHELKA | cpashelka@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: May 2, 2023 at 11:40 p.m. | UPDATED: May 4, 2023 at 2:42 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/05/02/lakers-anthony-davis-shows-why-he-not-lebron-is-warriors-toughest-matchup/

SAN FRANCISCO – Turns out, trying to contain LeBron James might not be
the biggest challenge the Golden State Warriors face in their
second-round playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Anthony Davis had a playoff game for the ages Tuesday, etching his name
alongside some of the storied franchise’s all-time greats, as he had 30
points, 23 rebounds and five assists to lead the Lakers to a 117-112 win
over the Warriors in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal at
Chase Center.

“For us, it’s a treat for us to be able to have such a dynamic player
that can not only go out and get you 30 and 20,” James said, “but also
command the paint defensively.”

Davis did just in the final two minutes in the game’s most crucial sequence.

After the Warriors went on a 14-0 run over a four-plus minute span to
tie the game at 112 with 1:38 to go, guard D’Angelo Russell responded
with a driving layup to give the Lakers back the lead. Then on the
Warriors’ ensuing possession, Davis blocked a short Curry shot in the
paint with 1:08 left in regulation to keep Los Angeles in front.

About 30 seconds later with Los Angeles leading 115-112, Davis affected
Jordan Poole’s errant driving floating layup, then collected the rebound
to preserve the lead.

Golden State didn’t score again as the Lakers took away home-court
advantage with Game 2 in San Francisco on Thursday.

“Just his ability to change shots, block shots, and then still gather
the rebounds, that’s rare company guy for a guy who able to do that,”
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “So I told him before the game to dominate
on both sides of the ball, and he’s been doing that.”

>Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis (3) blocks a shot to Golden State
Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) in the third quarter of Game 1 of the
Western Conference semifinals at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif.,
on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Before the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr cautioned against trying to
make those types of shots against this Lakers team and a player like
Davis who protects the rim so well.

“So hopefully we’re not dribbling in and trying to score layups over the
top of A.D. in the first five minutes in the game,” Kerr said pregame.
“But if we are then let’s learn our lesson quickly.”

With his performance Tuesday, Davis joined Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in
Lakers history to have at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game.

O’Neal was the last Laker to enjoy those numbers, as he had 36 points
and 20 rebounds in Game 4 of the 2004 NBA Finals against the Detroit
Pistons. Remarkably, L.A. still lost that game 88-80.

“The Lakers franchise over the course of their existence has always had
dominant big men, dominant guys that have been a force at the rim, and
that’s why their jerseys are in the rafters,” said James, who finished
with 22 points and 11 rebounds – numbers the Warriors could probably
live with if Davis hadn’t had such an impressive night.

“A.D.’s will be up there when he’s done playing, and the No. 3 will be
up in the rafters. He continues to show why he’s one of the best players
that we have in this league.”

Davis expects the Warriors to make some adjustments for Thursday’s game,
with Golden State potentially putting Draymond Green on him right from
the start, instead of Kevon Looney.

>Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis (3) takes a shot against Golden
State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) and Golden State Warriors' Kevon
Looney (5) in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the NBA basketball Western
Conference semifinal playoff series at the Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News
Group)

“It’s going to be a different game,” Davis said. “Obviously, we’re going
to make adjustments, they’re going to make adjustments. The building
will probably be a little bit louder. They don’t want to go down 0-2,”
Davis said.

“But I’m going to continue to be aggressive. I know LeBron’s going to
continue to be aggressive. I know Draymond likes to help. If they do
decide to put him on me, I’ve got to figure out ways I can be effective
with him doing his thing defensively.”

Davis is coming off a six-game series against the Memphis Grizzlies in
which he averaged 20.8 points and 13.7 rebounds and just over 36 minutes
per game.

Davis, though, played 44 minutes against the Warriors, including the
entire second half. That’s the most minutes he’s played in any playoff
game since Game 5 of the Warriors-New Orleans Pelicans second-round
series in 2018, which Golden State won to close out that series.

Ham received a bit of criticism when Davis sat out a March 15 game
against the Houston Rockets. The Lakers needed every win as they fought
for their postseason lives, but lost to the last-place Rockets 114-110.
Davis, officially, was still recuperating from the right foot injury
that sidelined him from Dec. 18 to Jan. 24.

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Ham, though, proved his point Tuesday by riding Davis to the finish line.

“This is what load management is about — if there’s going to be load
management, then we have to manage their load throughout the regular
season in order for us to push them a little further during this time of
year,” Ham said. “The postseason, everything is at its peak. You got to
pare down your rotation and push the big dogs. The big dogs have got to
be there early and often.

“We just made a conscious decision, communicated on the sideline and we
were able to push him on through and allow him to play the full half.”

>Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis (3) dunks the ball against Golden
State Warriors’ Kevon Looney (5) in the third quarter of Game 1 of the
NBA basketball Western Conference semifinal playoff series at the Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Nhat V.
Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

--
Curtis Pashelka | San Jose Sharks reporter
Curtis Pashelka is a Bay Area News Group sports reporter covering the
San Jose Sharks for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. He has also
worked as a general assignment reporter covering the Oakland Athletics,
San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, motorsports, golf, college
basketball and high school sports. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, he
moved to the Bay Area in 1994 and began working full-time for Bay Area
News Group in 2000. Curtis attended Diablo Valley College and San
Francisco State University.