The Lakers captured the in-season tournament title and inaugural NBA Cup with a 123–109 victory over the Pacers in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Anthony Davis put on an iconic performance for Los Angeles, scoring 41 points, grabbing 20 rebounds and recording four blocks, as he paced the Lakers in the second half to pull away from Indiana.
LeBron James pitched in 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, as he deferred frequently to Davis who clearly had it rolling from the jump on Saturday night.
Both the Lakers and Pacers played incredibly hard in an atmosphere that felt like a playoff game. All in all, the NBA should certainly consider the in-season tournament a success, as it brought more meaning to early season basketball in November and December.
Social media was mesmerized by the performance of Davis as he led Los Angeles to the first NBA Cup. Here are some of the best reactions in the wake of his performance on Saturday night.
Anthony Davis was transcendent tonight. A dominant performance to remember when it comes time to vote for DPOY and when predicting an NBA Finals champion. pic.twitter.com/KHqMC2ZBxf
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) December 10, 2023
ANTHONY DAVIS LOCKED IN.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 10, 2023
pic.twitter.com/e7Mz3cVdZJ
dawg, Anthony Davis is so damn lethal when he’s in his bag like this >
— Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss) December 10, 2023
Anthony Davis is a monster
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) December 10, 2023
Anthony Davis when he remembers he’s the best player on the court pic.twitter.com/8DnrHXRofx
— 🅿️ika (@Jitmovin) December 10, 2023
Anthony Davis at a neutral site pic.twitter.com/t9QH8TOXM5
— Old NBA Tweets (@oldnbatweetz) December 10, 2023