Anthony Davis dazzled in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 130-119 NBA victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday, scoring 55 points with 17 rebounds in his 10th straight game of at least 20 points.
Davis added three blocked shots as he followed up a 44-point performance in the team’s triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. He said after that game he believed the team was turning a corner after a rocky start to the season.
With injury troubles behind him, Davis said, he’s finding his rhythm.
“I’ve been feeling really good, confident in all my shots, playing with a great pace,” said Davis, who connected on a blistering 22 of his 30 attempts from the floor.
That included two of three from three-point range, and he made all nine of his free throw attempts in a devastatingly efficient performance.
He’s the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2013 to record back-to-back 40-point games.
“Guys are doing a great job of finding me,” Davis said. “It’s a team effort… all these guys are putting me in position to be successful. I think our entire team mindset is just coming out with effort on both ends of the floor.”
Superstar LeBron James scored 29 points, Lonnie Walker IV added 20 and Westbrook added six points with 15 assists as the Lakers won their third straight and eighth in their last 10 games.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, however, as the Lakers saw a 29-point lead midway through the third quarter dwindle to nine points with six minutes to play.
“They were playing desperate basketball,” James said. “They were just jacking it and getting up and down the floor, it caught us on our heels a little bit. But we played a great game.”
The Boston Celtics, whose scorching start to the season is a stark contrast to the Lakers’, rebounded from an overtime loss to the Miami Heat with a 103-92 home win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Jaylen Brown scored 34 points and Jayson Tatum added 29. Malcolm Brogdon scored 13 off the bench as the Celtics reserves outscored Brooklyn’s bench 24-15.
Kevin Durant led the Knicks with 31 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
Kyrie Irving added 18 but Brooklyn’s four-game winning streak was halted.
In New Orleans, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado drilled eight three-pointers on the way to a career-high 38 points in the hosts’ 121-106 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
The 24-year-old from Puerto Rico notched the most points by any player coming off the bench this season.
Pels star Zion Williamson added 25 points as New Orleans withstood 32 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists from Denver’s two-time defending MVP Nikola Jokic.
Frustrated Nuggets coach Michael Malone was ejected with 2:03 remaining after jawing with an official.
Suns rout Spurs
The victory put the Pelicans in second place in the Western Conference, one game behind the Phoenix Suns, who had little trouble in a 133-95 victory over the Spurs in San Antonio.
Deandre Ayton scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges scored 20 points apiece as the Suns notched their seventh win in eight games.
The Spurs dropped their 11th straight.
The Portland Trail Blazers welcomed Damian Lillard back from a seven-game injury absence with a 116-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
In Detroit, Memphis star Ja Morant enjoyed another big game, scoring 33 points in the Grizzlies’ wire-to-wire 122-112 victory over the Pistons.
In Sacramento, the Kings withstood a 41-point performance from Chicago’s Zach LaVine in a 110-101 victory over the Bulls.
Malik Monk led the Kings with 20 points off the bench with seven Kings players — including all five starters — scoring in double figures.
