PHOENIX — For those who question Anthony Davis’ fight: it was stamped all over one of his best games as a Laker on Tuesday night.
It was in his hands, as he pounded the glass for rebounds, his highest mark in nearly four years. It was in his drives to the basket, which got him to the free-throw line for 16 attempts. It was in the snarl as he shoved Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton during a fourth-quarter confrontation that erupted just in front of the Lakers’ bench.
But one man’s fight isn’t going to be enough for the Lakers to contend with some of the best teams in the league. In a 115-105 loss to the second-place Suns (11-6), Davis was brilliant with 37 points, 21 rebounds, five steals and five blocked shots but the supporting cast had trouble carrying its weight as the Lakers (5-11) saw their three-game winning streak hit a wall on the road.
While many of the Lakers’ foibles this season have been attributed to their highest-paid players playing at a less-than-star level, Davis put in a yeoman’s effort, his rebound total setting a new high for his Lakers’ tenure – the most he’s had in his career since 2019.
The 29-year-old forward entered a class of his own with his two-way effort in the game: He’s the only NBA player ever to have at least 35 points, 20 rebounds, five blocks and five steals in a game (blocks and steals were not officially recorded until 1973). He has had 30-plus points and 16-plus rebounds in four straight games, something he had never done before in his career.
Russell Westbrook had 21 points with five assists against just one turnover off the bench, and Lonnie Walker IV had 24 points to beef up the starting lineup’s scoring effort.
But outside of those three, the Lakers’ shooting was bereft of anyone who could help much: The rest of the team shot just 9 for 30 from the field. Davis finished 15 for 16 from the free-throw line, where the Lakers held a big advantage (29-3) in points. But Phoenix was 16 for 31 from behind the arc, while the Lakers were just 4 for 22 from 3-point range.
“We had some good looks,” Davis said. “They just didn’t drop.”
One of their most notable contributions was an ejection: After Devin Booker (25 points) fouled Austin Reaves in the fourth quarter, Ayton stood over him. Lakers guard Pat Beverley, who was 0 for 2 with 10 rebounds and no points in 29 minutes, shoved Ayton to the ground, setting off a confrontation that wound up with Beverley out of the game. Ayton received a technical foul, and Booker received a flagrant for his foul of Reaves.
Beverley called it an “unfortunate incident,” but said he wasn’t ready to let Ayton lord over his teammate.
“Obviously it’s unfortunate that it happened on national TV, but you know me, regardless of what’s going on I’m a big fan of protecting my teammates,” he said. “I’m a foxhole guy. I put on the jersey and I commit to a team, I commit to a city and it’s kind of my motto.”
Reaves said he thanked Beverley “four or five times” for standing up for him.
“He rocks with who he rocks with,” Reaves said. “Whoever is on his team, you respect him. You love him. You’re glad he’s on your team. When he’s not, he’s a pest, does all that stuff, all those little things. But I just respect him for who he is and standing up for me.”
The Lakers showed some backbone in the spat, but less so in the second half on the court: They were outscored 62-50 after halftime, giving up a 12-2 run immediately to start the third quarter. Troy Brown Jr., Beverley and Dennis Schröder were among the notable role players to wind up without a point.
The Lakers started off with the subpar shooting that has so far defined much of their season, missing their first six shots from 3-point range before Westbrook hit one in the second quarter. They made up for it with aggression inside, nearly doubling up the Suns in paint scoring in the first half (28-16).
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Already down one star in LeBron James, the Lakers had a scare in the second quarter when Davis fell in a tangle with Booker and stayed on the court, grabbing his left forearm. After a long timeout in which he was attended to by a trainer, Davis returned to the game and sank a pair of free throws. Even after the game, Davis admitted his left hand was still a bit numb.
It wasn’t long after that the Lakers took the lead after trailing by as much as 10 points, reeling off an 18-4 run sparked by Reaves (11 points) and Walker, with Westbrook driving the action. Davis made five more attempts at the line to close out the half, and the Lakers led 55-53 at halftime.
The Lakers have an upcoming back-to-back set in San Antonio on Friday and Saturday after the Thanksgiving holiday. They’ll celebrate on the road, and while they don’t have the record they want, they’ll know they’re bonded as a group, if not by winning, at least by standing up for one another.
While Coach Darvin Ham said he wanted his team to play within the rules, he also understood the impulse of Beverley’s choice.
“How would that look if they knock Austin down and no one comes over to do anything, or no one comes over to help him up and rally around him?” Ham said. “That would look terrible. So it is what it is. We try to play as legal as possible, but make no mistake about it, we’re gonna have each other’s back. That’s who we’re gonna be and who we are.”
37 PTS
21 REB
5 STL
5 BLK
Anthony Davis was unbelievable tonight, posting his FOURTH 30+ point and 15+ rebound game in a row.
He becomes only the second Laker in history to record 35+ PTS, 20+ REB, and 5+ BLK in a game, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5 times). pic.twitter.com/BFZULyfR81
— NBA (@NBA) November 23, 2022
“I’m a big fan of protecting my teammates.” Pat Beverley talks about the scuffle with Deandre Ayton and the Suns. pic.twitter.com/VqCeDshZAg
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 23, 2022
Darvin Ham said that the Beverley-Ayton scuffle was an unfortunate play, but at the end of the day, he is not mad since the Lakers need to have each other’s back. pic.twitter.com/t8camVUVtn
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 23, 2022
Anthony Davis talks about feeling numbness in his hand after falling awkwardly and Deandre Ayton’s “disrespectful” move that initiated the scuffle against the Suns. pic.twitter.com/Sbha9TyfLo
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 23, 2022