Adding Anthony Davis' shot to the iconic list of Los Angeles Lakers postseason buzzer-beaters

Gilbert McGregor

Adding Anthony Davis' shot to the iconic list of Los Angeles Lakers postseason buzzer-beaters image

The buzzer-beating 3 in Game 2 of the 2020 Western Conference Finals is yet another reminder that Anthony Davis is  on his way to becoming a Los Angeles Lakers legend.

Davis is aware of the of the significance of his shot, too.

"It’s for sure the biggest shot of my career," Davis said to the media following the game. "When I left (New Orleans), I just wanted to be able to compete for a championship. I know that moments like this come with it. Especially being in LA, the biggest market in basketball.”

Davis and LeBron James have teamed up to deliver the city of Los Angeles the most postseason success it has seen since 2010, the year in which the Lakers won the second of their back-to-back titles. 

Not only was Sunday's game-winner the biggest shot of Davis' eight-year career, it also adds to a storied history of postseason buzzer-beaters from the historic franchise, cementing Davis' place among Laker lore, especially if the 2020 run ultimately ends with a title.

Here's a look back at how Davis' game-winning buzzer-beater stacks up with some of the other buzzer-beaters in Lakers playoff history.

Anthony Davis, 2020 Western Conference Finals Game 2

Final: Lakers 105, Nuggets 103

In just his first season as a Laker, Davis' triple as time expired gave the Lakers a two-point win and a 2-0 series lead in the conference finals, placing the franchise just six wins away from its 17th title.

Metta Sandiford-Artest, 2010 Western Conference Finals Game 5

 

Final: Lakers 103, Suns 101

Tied 2-2 in the 2010 Western Conference Finals, Sandiford-Artest (then Ron Artest) corralled a miss from Kobe Bryant for a put-back layup as time expired to give LA a 3-2 series lead.

The Lakers would go on to win the series in six games and win the 2010 NBA Finals in seven games over the Boston Celtics. 

Kobe Bryant, 2006 Western Conference First Round Game 4

 

Final: Lakers 99, Suns 98 (OT)

There's a reason AD yelled "KOBE" after his game-winner.

Bryant's 2005-06 season was one for the record books and his performance in Game 4 of the opening round was indicative of the type of zone he was in all season. Bryant led the seventh-seeded Lakers to a 3-1 series advantage by hitting both the game-tying shot at the end of regulation in addition to the buzzer-beater from the elbow at the end of overtime.

Mamba mentality.

Derek Fisher, 2004 Western Conference Semifinals Game 5

 

Final: Lakers 74, Spurs 73

0.4 seconds.

That's all Fisher needed to get off a prayer, as he hit one of the most memorable shots in league history to give the Lakers a 3-2 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.

LA would win the series in six games and, ultimately advance to the 2004 Finals where it lost to the Detroit Pistons.

Robert Horry, 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 4

 

Final: Lakers 100, Kings 99

Robert Horry earned the "Big Shot Bob" nickname, that's for sure.

In danger of falling into a 3-1 deficit to the top-seeded Kings, the defending back-to-back champion Lakers trailed by two points with the ball and under 12 seconds remaining. After misses from Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the loose ball was tipped out to Horry, who calmly and coolly stepped into a 3-pointer for the win.

After winning the conference finals in seven, the Lakers advanced to win their third consecutive NBA title.

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Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.