BBNBA: Anthony Davis' 39 points spoiled by Magic game-winner

ZGeogheganKSR

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) and center Goga Bitadze (35) defend Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) - Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images

Anthony Davis was special on Thursday night for the Los Angeles Lakers, but some shooting struggles down the stretch prevented his team from coming out with a win.

Davis dropped a game-high 39 points on the Orlando Magic. He shot 14-22 from the field (making his lone three-pointer along the way) while adding nine rebounds, three blocks, and two assists in 37 minutes. The former Wildcat has been playing at an MVP level this season, but he wasn’t at his best in the final minute.

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With the Lakers leading by two and 19 seconds left in the game, Davis missed a pair of free throws (only seconds after going 1-2 at the stripe). On the next possession, Orlando’s Franz Wagner, who finished with 37 points, nailed a deep stepback go-ahead three-pointer. Los Angeles still had a chance to win with 2.5 seconds on the clock, but Davis air-balled a long turnaround jumper at the buzzer, gifting the Magic a 119-118 victory.

Davis’s overall performance was great, especially from a box score perspective. But he couldn’t come up clutch when the Lakers needed him the most. We won’t hold it against him for long though. Los Angeles is currently 10-5 this season with Davis averaging a career-high 31.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 35.2 minutes per outing. He’s shooting 57.3 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from deep — both career-highs in year 12 as a pro.

Just work on those free throws, AD.

Other BBNBA notes

Julius Randle posted 23 points (5-12 FG; 1-6 3PT), nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and four turnovers in 38 minutes last night for the Minnesota Timberwolves, although it came in a 110-105 loss to the Immanuel Quickley-less Toronto Raptors. It marked the first time all season the Raptors have won back-to-back games. The last time the Wolves won in Toronto was Jan. 2004. Quickley has not played since Nov. 10 due to an elbow injury. Rob Dillingham saw nine minutes for Minnesota in the loss, adding two points and one assist.
Keldon Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs got the best of Johnny Juzang and the Utah Jazz, winning 126-118. Johnson also had the better individual night, finishing with 12 points (4-9 FG), eight rebounds, and four assists in 28 minutes of action. Juzang chipped in six points and two rebounds in his 16 minutes.

11/21/24 statistics

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	+/-	MIN
Anthony Davis (LAL)	119-118 L vs. ORL	39	14-22 (1-1)	9	2	0	3	3	0	37
Julius Randle (MIN)	110-105 L @ TOR	23	5-12 (1-6)	9	3	2	0	4	-6	38
Keldon Johnson (SAS)	126-118 W vs. UTA	12	4-9 (0-3)	8	4	0	0	1	-2	28
Johnny Juzang (UTA)	126-118 L @ SAS	6	2-4 (2-4)	2	1	1	0	0	14	16
Rob Dillingham (MIN)	110-105 L @ TOR	2	1-2 (0-0)	0	1	0	0	1	-14	9
Nick Richards (CHA)	123-121 W (OT) vs. DET	DNP-Ribs	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Oscar Tshiebwe (UTA)	126-118 L @ SAS	DNP-G League	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL)	119-118 L vs. ORL	DNP-Foot	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Immanuel Quickley (TOR)	110-105 W vs. MIN	DNP-Elbow	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—