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The Los Angeles Lakers were without LeBron James on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, but star big man Anthony Davis took over as the team’s leader in his absence.
Davis continued to establish himself as an early NBA MVP candidate with 30 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in the Lakers’ 107-98 win over the Blazers. James had to miss his first game of the year due to soreness in his left foot.
The Lakers led by as many as 20 points in the win. While they were without the elder James, his son Bronny James saw two minutes of action late in the game and recorded a block. However, he missed both shot attempts.
In addition to Davis’ big night, D’Angelo Russell dropped 28 points and 14 assists off the bench. Rui Hachimura scored 23 points and four steals in the win.
But the night belonged to Davis and fans on social media praised the big man for his outstanding performance on Sunday:
NBA•FanReal sport @realapp_
Anthony Davis now has 18 career games with over 30 PTS, 10+ REB and 5+ BLK.
The sixth most in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/sLYBG2b2WG
LeBron__legacy
@LeBron__legacy
LAKERS WIN!
DANGELO RUSSELL IS BACK
ANTHONY DAVIS MVP SPEAKS AGAIN
RUI HACHIMURA IS THAT GUY AGAIN
THE LAKERS WIN EVERYTHINGpic.twitter.com/IZKuasAts9
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@DTBxss
The Lakers’ offense just runs a lot smoother when Lebron isn’t there. I understand that this is the Trail Blazers, but we also showed it against the Celtics last year. Lebron keeps the offense stagnant and doesn’t allow anyone not named Anthony Davis to shine
Sunday’s win ended a three-game losing streak for the Lakers. If James continues to miss time, Davis has shown he has no problem being the focal point on both ends of the floor.
The Lakers (13-11) will be back in action on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves (12-11).
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