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At the same time he made waves by vocalizing his desire for Rob Pelinka and the front office to add another big to the Lakers roster, Davis has also elevated his play (which over the course of the season was already elite). Monday in Charlotte, Davis went for 21/11 in the first quarter, en route to 42 points and 23 boards. He was the reason—the reason—the Lakers got off to a tremendous start against the Hornets, outscoring them 39-19 in the first quarter and the reason—the reason—they hung on to win, 112-107.
LeBron James chipped in with 22/7/8, but also had five of the team’s 19 turnovers that kept the Hornets in the game.
In some ways, this game is a perfect microcosm of the team’s season. On the one hand, they lost focus (JJ Redick said after he felt they worked hard, but made tons of mental errors), squandering an opportunity to get their stars extra rest on the front end of a back-to-back.
Jan 27, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) works for the ball against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) in the second half at TD Garden. | David Butler II/David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Knicks starters were having fun, the bench was having fun, the deep bench was having fun, Tom Thibodeau may have even cracked a smile at one point.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around and the Knicks led the Grizzlies by 20 points, with Knicks backup point guard Cam Payne practically waltzing downhill, uncontested to the basket, there wasn’t a more fun game to be found on a Monday night. Definitely not for the Grizzlies, but they’re a resilient team who will learn from the loss.
What the win and the Knicks ingenuity — the way New York was dominant but allowed for a shifting dominance — made me think about was the Celtics. Specifically how last season Boston was celebrated for their competitive exactitude, and what their losses this season are showing about their rigidity. Namely, that it could cost them.
The most striking stat to me in the Knicks win last night was that the team tallied 32 assists compared to the Grizzlies’ 21. New York was shooting from everywhere but there can be a temptation with a lead that big for teams to start letting the ball fly from deep, chucking up hero shots because they’ve got the padding of points and a nice boost of confidence.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Analysis Player grades for the latest game against the Hornets highlight the standout performances of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Austin Reaves also made notable contributions. (Silver Screen and Roll)
Replay The Lakers secured a victory against the Hornets thanks to strong showings from their key players. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were instrumental in the win. (Silver Screen and Roll)
Rumor Speculation surrounds potential trades involving Kyle Kuzma as the trade deadline approaches, with discussions heating up across the league. (Bleacher Report)
Injury LaMelo Ball of the Hornets rolled his ankle in a game against the Lakers, raising concerns for Charlotte’s season. This incident highlights the physical toll of the sport. Read the full report. (CBS Sports)
Preview The Lakers play against the 76ers in Philadelphia tonight at 7:00 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
3peat (ICYMI)
How Will the Lakers Survive Without Anthony Davis? The Lakers have a very distinct challenge in front of them over the next week or two. Let’s say for the sake of argument Anthony Davis misses all seven of the games the Lakers have left on the calendar before the All-Star break. How will they respond? In theory, three of those games—tonight against Washington, then games against Utah on February 10th and 12th—are winnable whether Davis plays or not. The other four? You do what you can.
Lakers Lose 118-104 to 76ers, Anthony Davis Suffers Abdominal Injury If Monday’s ugly win in Charlotte shined a light on deficiencies around the Lakers roster, then Tuesday’s ugly loss in Philadelphia—final score 118-104—had those shortcomings glowing in ways that could probably be seen from space. After a hot start, the Lakers cooled off, and then Anthony Davis left the game. For good, as it turned out. And once that happened, the Lakers completely collapsed. Defensively, they couldn’t find anything to slow down Tyrese Maxey. They couldn’t keep Philadelphia away from the rim, or off the glass. They couldn’t force any mistakes (zero turnovers for the Sixers in the second quarter). By any measure, the Lakers were completely overwhelmed by Philly’s aggression and athleticism.
Anthony Davis (42 Points, 23 Rebounds) Saves Lakers in 112-107 Win over Hornets The Anthony Davis Revival continues. At the same time he made waves by vocalizing his desire for Rob Pelinka and the front office to add another big to the Lakers roster, Davis has also elevated his play (which was, to say the least, already high level). Monday in Charlotte, Davis went for 21/11 in the first quarter, en route to 42 points and 23 boards. He was the reason—the reason—the Lakers got off to a tremendous start against the Hornets, outscoring them 39-19 in the first quarter and the reason—the reason—they hung on to win, 112-107.
