Anthony Davis has been up and down offensively throughout the playoffs, but two things that have been consistent for him have been his defense and rebounding.
In the Los Angeles Lakers’ huge Game 4 win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday, he had 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, making it the first time in these playoffs he has had back-to-back games of at least 20 points.
But his 15 rebounds and his overall defense were even bigger factors in L.A.’s 104-101 victory that gave it a 3-1 series lead.
His production in those departments caused LeBron James to call him “the best defensive player in the league” after the final horn went off.
What makes Davis special isn’t just his ability to block, change and deter shots at or near the rim, but also his ability to guard players one-on-one at different positions.
With seconds remaining in Monday’s game and the Lakers clinging to a one-point lead, Davis flaunted his defensive prowess, preventing Stephen Curry from getting into the paint and forcing him to miss two contested perimeter shots in a row.
Davis didn’t block a single shot in Game 4, but those two successive stops were at least as valuable as any of the league-leading 37 shots he has rejected in his 10 playoff games so far.
Thanks to him, the Lakers lead the NBA in defensive rating in the playoffs.
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Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire
