AD joins Lakers greats with 50-point game: 'It's humbling'
Anthony Davis is fittingly having a Hollywood-esque start to his Los Angeles Lakers career.
The six-time All-Star scored a season-high 50 points in the Lakers' 142-125 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday to become the 11th player in franchise history to reach the mark in a game.
"It means a lot," Davis told reporters postgame, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "There's some greats to come through there and to be in the class with guys like that, especially so early in my career, my first year here. It's humbling, and I'm definitely excited to be in that class."
Davis required the third-fewest games in a Lakers uniform to drop 50 in a contest, needing only 23 before he accomplished the feat, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Only LeBron James (16) and Cedric Ceballos (22) scored 50 earlier in their respective Lakers careers.
The 26-year-old also joined James, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal as the only Lakers since 2000 to have a 50-point game, according to Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com.
Davis did his damage on both ends of the floor, shooting 20-of-29 from the field while also recording seven boards, six assists, four steals, and one block.
"The first thing that sticks out to me is that he has four steals, a block, and great defense for all 39 minutes he was out there," Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said, according to McMenamin. "He played strong on that end of the floor and anchored us, and to still go for 50 in what I feel like is an old-school, smashmouth way of getting 50 - no threes?
"Right? (He shoots) 20-for-29 and then living at the free-throw line. Post-ups, offensive rebounds, crashes, all those types of things. Just an old-school performance and one for the ages."
Davis and James combined for 82 points in Sunday's victory to become the first pair of Lakers teammates to collectively score at least 70 points in consecutive games since Bryant and O'Neal did so in March 2003. Davis and James posted 39 and 31 points, respectively, in Friday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Los Angeles improved to a league-best 21-3 and is riding a four-game win streak.