LeBron James, NBA Fans Hype Anthony Davis After Lakers Win vs. Pascal Siakam, Raptors

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Facing a growing chorus of critics and swirling rumors about the job status of coach Darvin Ham, the Lakers needed a big performance from its stars Tuesday night.

Anthony Davis delivered and then some.

Davis finished with 41 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Lakers to a 132-131 win over the Toronto Raptors. The All-Star big man knocked down eight clutch free throws in the final minute of the game to help the Lakers hold off a surging Raptors team.

LeBron James, who finished with 22 points, 12 assists and five rebounds, heaped praise on Davis after the game:

Fans were also floored by Davis’ performance:

Davis has been nothing short of brilliant since the start of 2024, averaging 30.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 64.8 percent from the floor. The Lakers’ back-to-back wins over the Raptors and Clippers brought them back to .500 on the season and will likely quell rumors of Ham potentially being on the hot seat.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Ham remains a favorite of controlling governor Jeanie Buss, who has been the coach’s biggest champion behind the scenes.

That said, barely creeping back to .500 is still well below the Lakers’ preseason expectations. Odds are, general manager Rob Pelinka will be working the phones over the next month to fortify the roster around James and Davis—much the same way he did a year ago in a series of moves that helped catapult the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals.

If Davis continues his run of MVP-caliber play, the rest of the roster might not need as much improvement as it appears.