Anthony Davis started off his career with the New Orleans Pelicans.
He led them to the playoffs and was their franchise player for years before the trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Notably, the fans didn’t seem to care about his desire to leave their small-market team, so he’s become a polarizing figure in the Big Easy since he left.
And that may have been a little extra motivation for him every time he has to square off against his former team.
That was on full display on Tuesday night, as he torched them for 35 points and led his team to a much-needed win over a direct rival for a playoff spot.
Davis claimed that he was to blame for the loss versus the New York Knicks, so he wanted to come out extra aggressive to make sure to lead his team to success.
"Last game everyone did their job except myself and that was on me. I wanted to come out and make sure that I got back to myself, got back to a rhythm." @AntDavis23 chats with @LakersReporter following his 35 PTS against New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/dXVskG1TJa
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 15, 2023
The new-look Lakers look like a much better team, and that’s even without LeBron James on the court.
They’ve played stout defense, and their shooters keep making plays night in and night out.
But with James still on the shelf for the next couple of weeks, Darvin Ham’s team will need to bring their best collective effort to keep the ship afloat and their playoff hopes alive.
Davis is supposed to be the man in James’ absence, and Tuesday night’s game gave us all a glimpse of what he’s capable of when he’s healthy and locked in.
Hopefully, that’ll be the case for the remainder of the season.
NEXT: NBA Analyst Critiques Anthony Davis’ Latest Game
