Anthony Davis reveals advice given to Malik Beasley before his standout performance

Before his breakout performance as a Laker, Malik Beasley received some advice from Anthony Davis that served as a spark vs. the Warriors.

Lakers fans were treated to quite the performance from Malik Beasley in the team’s return from the All-Star break on Thursday. Beasley caught fire from the 3-point line and scored a game-high 25 points on 7-11 shooting from beyond the arc to lead the team past Golden State.

It was the type of performance the team has not often seen this year, especially from someone not named LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But it was very much a welcome sight, especially considering it came on a night when those two were not at their best.

After the game, AD revealed the advice he had given to Beasley during shootaround that stuck with him heading into the contest.

Not only did AD implore Beasley to shoot, but he also noted that Warriors were set up in a way to exploit that. After playing them just before the All-Star break, Davis was familiar with what to expect from the defense.

The result was that Davis only finished with 12 points on 3-5 shooting with 12 rebounds, but the Lakers knocked down 16-30 from the 3-point line. On top of Beasley’s seven makes, Mo Bamba and Lonnie Walker each had two 3-pointers.

It was the type of performance the Lakers haven’t had in some time, not just from Beasley but the team as a whole. LeBron also struggled shooting the ball, finishing with 13 points on 5-20 shooting from the field and 2-9 shooting from range.

But eight players scored in double figures on the night to help the Lakers to the win, a team effort that simply was not an option pre-trade deadline. It certainly feels like there’s a swagger and confidence to this team that hasn’t existed and man it’s so much fun to see.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.