Lakers: KCP Says Nuggets Would Have Beat LA Without Anthony Davis' Clutch Three
Laker fans jumped for joy as the newly acquired Anthony Davis hit arguably the most clutch shot in the bubble playoffs for LA. Former Laker guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope believes the shot was so big, it would have cost them the series let alone their championship (quotes via NBA on ESPN).
"I always tell people this story, if AD didn't hit that three, I figured we would have lost that series. That's what I think about. I figured they were a different team. They are scrappy. Just seeing them fight back against the Clippers, it showed a lot. They were just ready."
Davis hit the clutch 3-pointer in game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to give the Lakers a 2-0 series lead and handily beat the Nuggets 4-1. With no real home court advantage in the bubble, every game mattered and the favored Lakers could have lost serious momentum.
Hitting the clutch 3-pointer was only part of the damage done by Davis has he completely dominated the Nuggets in the round. Davis averaged a staggering 31.2 points a game along with 6.2 rebounds a game.
LeBron James also carried a huge load on his shoulders heading towards his fourth championship of his career. James did what he always did and averaged nearly a triple-double with 27.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 9 assists.
The monster numbers between the Lakers top stars were not enough to convince KCP for their championship aspirations.
However, there is little doubt that in such a tough environment the Lakers were able to dominate the playoffs and would not have been able to win without Davis lending a huge helping hand.
