The Los Angeles Lakers need Anthony Davis now more than ever.
LeBron James will stay out of the lineup for the next couple of weeks, and D’Angelo Russell is still waiting to return.
Davis is a franchise-caliber player, and there’s no margin for error for Darvin Ham’s team, which is why it was so encouraging to see him dominate against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
Despite not having Ja Morant and Steven Adams, the Grizzlies still fought hard and made it a close game at Crypto.com Arena.
Their physicality was on full display throughout the whole game, with Davis even getting hit on the nose.
As it usually happens with him, there were concerns about Davis missing time after that hit, but he stayed in the game and willed his team to a much-needed win.
More importantly, Davis reaffirmed the necessity and sense of urgency the Lakers have right now, stating that he needs to compete every single night to lead the team to the playoffs.
“It’s still bleeding, but we gotta win basketball games. … It’s a must-win, every game we play from here on out.” @AntDavis23 left it all out on the court tonight. pic.twitter.com/IgpBT45SKg
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 8, 2023
Davis had one of his best games of the season, torching the Grizzlies for 30 points, a season-high 22 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one three-pointer on 64.7% from the floor, stepping up big time without James and Russell in the lineup.
Needless to say, that’s the kind of effort that fans have demanded from him all season long, so it’s nice to see him stepping up when it matters the most.
The Lakers have fought their way up the Western Conference standings after the trade deadline, and they currently sit at the ninth spot.
NEXT: Lakers HC Darvin Ham Has Fans Excited For Friday’s Game
