Anthony Davis strode toward the sideline opposite the Lakers’ bench while roaring in Las Vegas. As he addressed the pro-LA audience, he thumped his torso and collided with Buddy Hield.

“He is me!” Davis exclaimed with a vehement shriek. “He is me!”

It was an uncommon display of emotion from the normally reserved Davis, and it demonstrated how desperately he wаnted to win the NBA Cup on Saturday night. Just seconds earlier, he had completed his tenth consecutive point, which capped a 13-0 Lakers run that decided the championship game of the In-Season Tournament.

Davis delivered one of the most outstanding performances of his future Hall of Fаme career in Las Vegas for the In-Season Tournament championship match between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers: 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, and four steals in 41 minutes as the Lakers defeated Indiana 123-109 to win the inaugural NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena.

Davis stated, “I simply do everything in my power to win a basketball game.” Following the game, he resumed his customary demeanor. “It is evident that my teammates significantly facilitated my path to success.” We are obviously in a unique position after winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament. Nonetheless, we hope to accomplish the same feat in June. It’s a positive development; however, despite the significance of the performance, it remаins a game and we must maintain our momentum beginning on Tuesday in Dallas.

MVP of the tournament was awarded to LeBron James, who recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists against the Pacers, rather than Davis. Throughout the seven tournament games, James contributed to a higher average of 26.4 points (compared to 23.3), improved his free throw percentage from 52.5 percent to 56.8 percent, and helped Los Angeles achieve greater success with him on the court (plus-116 plus-minus versus plus-98). Even though Davis’ posturing and bellowing will remain the enduring image of the championship game, he was the obvious choice for MVP.

“I’m him!” is a phrase more closely associated with Lakers breakthrough guard Austin Reaves, who exclaimed the same thing approximately eight months before this after making a game-changing basket against the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Undoubtedly, that marked the moment Reaves debuted on a national scale.

Davis’ moment served as a much-needed reminder of how amazing he is — and still is — rather than an arrival.

Against the Pacers, Davis could not be stopped, not even by a groin shot that knocked him to the ground and rendered him limping for the remainder of the game. He eventually defeated the Pacers by physically overwhelming them.

“When he performs at that level, there are probably not many players in the league who are better than him,” said Austin Reaves. “He deserves praise for what he did tonight, as well as for the entirety of the season thus far.”

Davis exhibited a dominant presence in the paint on both ends of the court: thirteen of his sixteen made field goals were in the restricted area, he contested twelve of the Pacers’ 36 contested 2-pointers (17 of 58 overall) and drew nine fouls against the Pacers, three of which were committed by Myles Turner at the 4:09 mark of the fourth quarter. His pursuit of the basket was unrelenting; he rolled into open areas, dismantled Pacers defenders to obtain оffensive rebounds, and attacked with an intensity that often provoked criticism from his detractors.

It was inconsequential that Davis’ jumper failed to fall as it had en route to a championship in 2020; he made just one attempt from outside the paint. His performance was arguably the most effective of any contest he had played in his career. It was a masterpiece in both ways. An exemplary performance that befits the circumstances and the consequences.

“He is the individual to help us impose our will on both sides of the ball,” said head coach Darvin Ham of AD. “He simply wants us to enforce our will.” “We refer to him as our anchor.” “He carries a tremendous burden in terms of our paint points.”

The matchup on Saturday was a cоnflict of personalities. Ahead of the championship, both teams were 6-0 for contrasting causes.

The Pacers have the greatest offense in the league and the 28th-ranked defense, while the Lakers’ offense is rated 22nd and their defense is ranked seventh. Los Angeles is dependent on the paint-heavy approach of James and Davis, in addition to an army of long, athletic wings flanking Davis on defense. An average of 20.2 points were scored in their first six victories. Indiana, meanwhile, has one of the game’s preeminent pick-and-roll practitioners and playmakers in Tyrese Haliburton, who operates at the quickest rate in the league. On their way to the championship game, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers — a significantly more difficult schedule than the Lakers.

The stylistic differences were manifest to a great extent. Outside of the paint, the Lakers labored, registering a season-high 86 points in the paint (compared to the Pacers’ 44 points) and attempting a season-low two three-pointers. This season, only three teams, including Los Angeles, have failed to Һit a three-pointer in a single half.

Conversely, Ham and his coaching staff executed a proficient defensive strategy customized to counterbalance the Pacers’ advantageous attributes. With the assistance of Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Max Christie, they pursued Haliburton off the ball, both full court and around screens. The Lakers employed a variety of coverage strategies when he executed pick-and-rolls, which were among the most effective plays in the league. They alternated between flipping, blitzing, and aggressively playing up to the level of the screen.

Davis, if not the greatest pick-and-roll defender in the league, was indispensable to the success of the Los Angeles Ramblers’ strategy. He would avert Haliburton’s progress long enough for the primary defender to recuperate and execute the required backline rotations when the game advanced or the Pacers gained the upper hand. Despite putting forth 11 assists and scoring 20 points, Haliburton committed three more turnovers than in the previous three games combined (two).

Davis stated, “Whenever I step onto the court, I am cognizant of the fact that I am the linchpin of the defense, allowing my teammates the liberty to apply pressure to the ball and, should they be defeated, being at the basket to alter the shot or block it.” “However, that is my occupation. I am in constant conversation with the me𝚗. “Bron and I, in particular, have an exceptional chemistry about our preferred defensive strategies and the four-and-five.”

The victory is not factored into the Lakers’ standings, and the statistics do the same. Technically, Los Angeles and Indiana will meet in 83 regular-season contests. Davis’ 40-20 game will not be documented in the 2023-24 season’s annals. Voters’ attention will not be drawn to it as they peruse box scores and game reports before awards season.

Nonetheless, the Lakers’ In-Season Tournament supremacy is undeniable; a medal and an additional trophy serve as a reminder of the immeasurable value Davis and James accumulated during their legendary partnership spanning half a decade.

Davis stated, “We’ve been doing this together for over five years, and we figure it out as we go.” Our inclinations and preferred activities are mutually aware. It becomes difficult to refrain from engaging in the infamous pick-and-roll during critical times. Each of us feeds the other. Thursday was LeBron James’ day. “I was present tonight, while he continued to do his thing.”

James Davis is the only team in which he has spent more time in his legendary twenty-one-year career (and counting) than Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Chris Bosh, and Kevin Love.

Davis is, in many respects, the ideal companion for James: He is content to defer the limelight, frequently opting for joint press conferences in which four James inquiries are presented for each Davis query. His concern is not about accolades or credit recipients. In the paint and defensively, he bears the burden. Additionally, he occasionally relieves James of his workload with a monstrous оffensive performance every few games.

James described what Davis means to him as “everything, particularly in the later stages of my career, to be able to motivate a young, hungry alpha male to go out there and do the things that he does.” “Undoubtedly, this has afforded me the chance to not only observe his professional development but also attempt to motivate him as he progresses in the same way that I have. I believe that when we are both robust and on the floor together, we are all aware of our capabilities. Too many events, moments, and crucial moments have been shared and experienced collectively for us to have failed one another.”

Despite James’ co-signatory status, Davis continues to be a subject of severe criticism, especially on evenings like Saturday when his performance is compromised. Constant comparisons are made to his idealized personality. Davis is the only talent, possibly except James, whose quarters, halves, and games are scrutinized to the same degree. Each contest serves as a continuous evaluation of his position within the league. He is currently routine material for talk and debate shows.

It is improbable that the discussion will abate following the In-Season Tournament championship triumph. A second championship, if possible, will be required to firmly establish Davis alongside players such as Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid in national discourse. Given the Pacers’ undersized roster and bottom-three defense, some may аrgue that Davis’ performance would have been more significant had it been against Denver, Boston, or Milwaukee.

However, Davis has explicitly stated that he no longer requires external validation. Its pursuit ceased years ago, approximately between the 2020 championship and this coming Saturday. Having accepted himself as he is. Indeed, he is himself.