Anthony Davis Joins NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal, Tying 20-Year-Old Lakers Record

Anthony Davis gave the Los Angeles Lakers a flying start as he cruised to scoring 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the first half. He was playing electrifying Basketball until he had to leave the court.

AD came back in the second half and could add just one rebound and one assist before showing signs of a back spasm. He left the court and did not return to play. However, this did not put a lot of pressure on the Lakers, thanks to their humongous lead from the first half of Game 4.

Anthony Davis left the play early but still made a record for the Lakers

AD played in just 18 minutes and +/- box score remained +37. He matched the record set by Shaquille O’Neal in the year 2000, when he too had a +37 against the Sacramento Kings in game 5. 

Coincidentally, Lakers won that series 3-2 with Kobe Bryant scoring 17 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists in his 34 minutes of play. Shaq totally nailed it with a double-double, adding 32 points and 18 rebounds.

AD gave Lakers an initial boost, and the Lakers took it forward even in his absence. LeBron James held his position and scored 30 points with 10 assists before leaving the game after clocking 28 minutes. 

It was a game with a lot happening in the middle!

For the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard could time only 27 minutes and left after a right knee injury. He could manage only 11 points. 

Also, in a very scary instance, Anthony Davis got punched in his face in the beginning of the game. Blazers forward Hassan Whiteside accidentally hit him an elbow as he swung to take a shot from the paint.

Another positive for the Lakers is that their bench got enough time to play today. This game allowed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Dwight Howard, and Kyle Kuzma to score in double digits, and that will surely help their form in the upcoming games. The Lakers defeated Blazers 135-115 even after losing the last two quarters. They are now 3-1 ahead and now the Blazers have very slim chances to make a comeback.