Anthony Davis had quite the fall from grace just 48 hours after putting together one of the most efficiently-dominant performances we’d ever seen from a big man in an NBA Finals game.
Davis dropped 32 points on a ridiculous 15-of-20 shooting in the Lakers’ Game 2 win. He was the best player on the court, and his team benefited from his masterful performance. Sunday’s game featured quite the opposite, as Davis got into foul trouble early, and played only 33 minutes. When he was on the court, he played timid and passive, hauling in only five rebounds, compared to the 14 he had in the previous contest.
The Heat deserve credit for attacking Davis early, and drawing two fouls on him in the first quarter of the game. It rendered the game winnable early on, and they finished the final stanza strong, outscoring a LeBron James-led team in that period, 30-24.
And if you ask James, it was the foul trouble that negatively impacted Davis’ play on the court.
The Heat will likely need to get more from their perimeter players in Game 4, as it’s unlikely that Davis will get into early foul trouble again. He’s one of the best defenders in the league for a reason, and both he and the officials will likely make sure he stays on the floor longer in Wednesday’s game.
