Anthony Davis Just Keeps Dominating as the Lakers Win Third Straight Game

On the one hand, the Lakers have won three games in a row. On the other, they're 5-10. So which is the thing that indicates what the Lakers are?

Anthony Davis is trying to provide an answer. He was, again, huge on Sunday as the Lakers beat San Antonio in a genuine blowout, 123-92. A.D. put his imprint on the game early, with 18 points in the first quarter, en route to 30 (on a night where he sat most of the fourth). This, plus 18 rebounds, three steals and a block. This is the Anthony Davis who gets imaginations going. The one the Lakers need if they're going to have a prayer of making noise this season.

Cynics might note that these last three games have come against horrible teams with bad frontcourts (the Spurs on Sunday were missing Jakob Poeltl, who is a very good defensive center). Does that diminish what Davis is doing? No, and the hope is it helps AD gain the muscle memory to keep it going when LeBron James (out again Sunday) returns and the competition also gets a little stiffer. It's good for the Lakers, who have said over and over they want Davis to be "the man."

The same things, by the way, apply to the team as a whole. Three straight games against bad teams? Sure, add all the appropriate caveats. But teams often need a few games where they can see things work, gain a rhythm, develop confidence and so on. Given the difficulty of the early schedule, the Lakers are only getting that now.

And it's at a good time. While James is out, Thomas Bryant is back and has been productive in two games, and Dennis Schroder was much better Sunday than he was in his season debut against Detroit on Friday. Kendrick Nunn has quietly shown signs. Austin Reaves has been great. The outside shooting has gone from catastrophic to tolerably second-tier.

So is this enough to climb out of the hole?

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers win their third straight behind a dominant Anthony Davis.

SEGMENT 2: Russell Westbrook has been effective leading the second unit, and was effective again on Sunday. Plus, can AD keep this going against better competition?

SEGMENT 3: Can the Lakers keep it up as the schedule gets tougher?

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