Sometimes Anthony Davis and LeBron James just hit a level that mortal basketball players can’t do anything about.
Such was the case against the shorthanded 76ers on Tuesday, as the Lakers’ All-Star duo went into legend mode with one insane highlight after another in L.A.’s 120-107 victory.
Davis went surgical on the Sixers’ frontcourt, piling up 37 points, 13 rebounds and four steals. Meanwhile, James hit playmaking nirvana with 22 points and 14 assists.
Yet it was hardly varsity versus JV. Even with their own All-Star duo — Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons — out due to injuries, the 76ers announced their presence with an early 13-point lead.
The Lakers trailed for most of the first half until ending it on a 15-2 run highlighted by some monster throwdowns from Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, plus some ironclad defense from Davis, James and Avery Bradley.
But that wasn’t even close to the finish.
Davis absolutely destroyed the Sixers, including his main defender, the ultra-versatile Al Horford. He bullied his way through the post, shook off opponents with his filthy handles and made it rain from 3-point range.
Davis shot 13-of-19 from the field, 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 at the free throw line. The Lakers outscored the Sixers by 30 in his time on the floor.
Yet his top moment may have been on the defensive side, where he leapt over the courtside row to make a steal, before being helped to his feet by some fans.
“I really don’t like it too much,” James said. “I don’t need my big fella jumping over seats, but the good thing about it [is that] we’re home and [Lakers fans] will catch him over there. We’re one big family here.”
Meanwhile, in the midst one of his top passing displays of the season, LeBron got two of his most reality-defying buckets yet.
Mid-third quarter, he pulled up from the center court logo — from the ‘R’ in ‘Lakers’, mind you — and splashed a triple so scorching that his teammates had to go check the spot where he stood.
“He’s made plenty of those against me in my career before I got here,” Davis said, “so I know if it goes up, it has a high percentage of going in. He works on those shots. Any shot that he works on, I’m very confident that he makes, especially when in a rhythm like that.”
And, for an encore, the King unveiled another feat of distance. Year 17 still has nothing on LeBron, who took off of his left foot from outside of the key to throw down a zero-gravity dunk that effectively put the game out of reach.