James, Davis shine in Lakers preseason opener
LOS ANGELES: LeBron James scored 15 points in limited playing time and his new sidekick Anthony Davis finished with 22 as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled over the Golden State Warriors 123-110 in their preseason opener on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
This was the first taste of action for the duo since the Lakers acquired Davis in an offseason trade in June.
Saturday’s contest also ended one of the longest offseasons for James in his hall of fame career.
“He’s a very cerebral player. It was a good start for him,” the 15-time all-star James said of Davis.
Said Davis: “We’re just trying to help each other out. The more we can do that, the easier the game is going to be for us and our teammates. Anytime we have an opportunity to learn, it’s good for us.”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel sat the pair the entire second half.
Davis finished with 22 points on nine-for-16 shooting and 10 rebounds. James shot five-of-10 and finished with eight assists, three rebounds and a steal.
Stephen Curry had 18 points, three rebounds and two assists for the Warriors.
To those in the stands, however, the spectacle was well worth the big bucks.
“I am a cricket fan but… basketball also has huge potential and hopefully this is the start of a new sporting journey”, said 25-year-old Danish Contractor.
In his comments, the NBA’s Silver said the games “required us bringing in a court, a scoreboard, seats, locker rooms” to Mumbai.
They will have to do much more if the sport is to have a long-term future in the country, experts say as the NBA pre-season Asia tour now heads off to Japan and China for further matches over the coming week.
“One game isn’t going to turn India into a basketball-loving nation. But it’s a first step,” said Jhunjhunwala.
“If they lose money on it, well, they have deep pockets.”
AFP