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Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Hamm wasn’t surprised that Anthony Davis had one of the most exciting games in playoff history. AD led the Lakers to a 117-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the first game of their series.
Davis played 44 minutes and finished with 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. He became the first to record 30 points and 20 rebounds since Shaquille O’Neal achieved it three times in 2001.
Hamm said this to the media about Anthony Davis’ impressive performance in the post-match interview:
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“He has some brutal performances that year that he had with New Orleans (the Pelicans). It’s all in the past. He does exactly what I expected him to do. He plays like a top 5 player in the NBA.”
AD is very familiar with the Bay Area team. They first faced off in the postseason in 2015 when the eighth-ranked New Orleans Pelicans took on the Golden State Warriors.
Davis was only 21 years old and only in his third season in the league when he faced the Warriors. He led the first round of qualifying that year in minutes (43.0 mpg), points (31.5 PPG) and blocks (3.0 BPG). AD hit 54% of his shots and added 11 RPGs, 2.0 APG and 1.3 SPG to his contribution in the series.
The pelicans, however, eventually swept the champions away.
In 2018, the New Orleans Pelicans from Anthony Davis once again ran into the historically loaded Golden State Warriors who acquired Kevin Durant. They met in the second round of the playoffs.
Davis was unfazed. He averaged 27.8 PPG, 14.8 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 2.0 APG and 2.0 BPG in that series. New Orleans beat Golden State in Game 3 behind 33 points and 18 rebounds to prevent a sweep.
As in 2015, Steve Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Greene and crew marched to another decisive win, defeating LeBron James’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals.
After an incredible performance in Game 1, Anthony Davis is hoping his team doesn’t become another stepping stone to another Warriors coronation.
Anthony Davis has always been nearly unstoppable against the Golden State Warriors
Darvin Hamm knows his history in the NBA, especially the one related to Anthony Davis. He is certain that unless Milady is injured, he will rally great numbers against the defending champions.
In 10 games against the Warriors, Davis averaged 29.5 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals. He made 51.1% of his shots against the opponents of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even with the heyday of Draymond Green and some of the Warriors’ best defenders, he was pretty much unstoppable. Team success, however, eluded Davis against Golden State.
Anthony Davis continues to tally impressive numbers against the Bay Area team. The difference is he has a much better support team with the Lakers than the ones he had with New Orleans.
This could be the year he’ll get over the hump and beat the Warriors in the playoffs if he keeps his fiery form.
Also read: Anthony Davis joins elite company with the 30-20 Playoffs for the Los Angeles Lakers
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