Anthony Davis was expected to be the biggest key for the Lakers in their Western Conference Semifinals series with the Warriors. It didn't take long for him to prove why, stepping up to the task to help Los Angeles steal Game 1 on the road.
Davis looked charged up from the opening tip, delivering his most dominant performance of the postseason. He completely controlled the paint on both ends of the floor, erupting for 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks while shooting an efficient 11-for-19 from the field.
It's no easy feat to do something that has never been done before in Lakers history, but Davis did just that in Game 1.
MORE: LeBron James' case as the GOAT keeps piling up
Anthony Davis makes Lakers playoff history
The eight-time All-Star became the first player in Lakers playoff history to have at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in a game.
In fact, Spurs Hall of Famer Tim Duncan is the only other player in NBA playoff history to reach those benchmarks (and he did it twice!).
The list of 30-point, 20-rebound playoff games in Lakers history is not long, and it's littered with all-time greats.
| Player | 30-20 games |
| Elgin Baylor | 11 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 9 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 2 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 2 |
| Anthony Davis | 1 |
Where Davis separated himself from the pack of Laker legends was with four block shots, extending his 2023 NBA Playoffs lead. Davis has 30 blocks over seven games. The next closest player is Celtics center Al Horford, who only has 16 blocks.
Davis was seen to be a massive mismatch for the Warriors — even with how outstanding starting center Kevon Looney has been.
Looney, 6-9, is typically the biggest player that steps on the floor for Golden State. Because he and star forward Draymond Green are so reliable on the defensive end, regardless of a size mismatch, the Warriors can usually get away with playing smaller lineups.
Although Davis does have a tendency to disappear at times, failing to play with an edge and attitude, he made it clear in Game 1 that he can feast on Golden State's frontcourt when he's engaged.
AD DROPS 30-20 IN GAME 1 🤯
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2023
30 points
23 rebounds
5 assists
4 blocks
Lakers take the 1-0 series lead ‼️#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/T1qnAXsOC2
After the game, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham spoke on just how great Davis has been these playoffs.
"He had some monster performances that year he was with New Orleans, but all that's in the past. He's doing exactly what I anticipated him to do. He's playing like the top-five NBA player that he is," Ham told the media.
Davis will look to match his monster outing in Game 2 on Thursday, May 4 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
