After a poor performance against the Jazz, Anthony Davis bounced back against the Thunder, helping the Lakers get back to winning.

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Anthony Davis has been a beacon of consistency and production for the Lakers, putting up 25.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. The assist and block numbers are his highest as a Laker, with points and rebounds being just decimal points behind.

On Saturday versus the Jazz, Davis had a poor offensive game, scoring just 15 points on 5-21 shooting. With LeBron James out for the matchup, the Lakers needed a big game from Davis to win and his offensive production wasn’t enough to help pull off the road win.

He bounced back on Monday against the Thunder, playing like the 2023-24 Davis, ending the night with 27 points, including an emphatic dunk that sealed the game for the Lakers.

After the game, Darvin Ham talked about Davis’ competitive spirit and how badly he wants to win.

“His care factor is through the roof,” Ham said. “AD cares about nothing except winning. He wants to win. His skill set is elite and it generates a lot of numbers and a lot of different stat lines but, for the most part, the main thing that matters the most to him is the win and getting the win. He’s really hard on himself and beats himself up sometimes…He wants to be there for us in the most competitive way and just throw us on his back and carry us a lot.

“When he’s feeling like he’s not doing that, he’s really hard on himself. That’s why he is who he is. Ultimately, just him giving contributions night in and night out, if he continues to go at this rate, we’ll be just fine.”

Davis has caught a lot of flack in the past for his injuries and offensive production, but this year, he’s having his best season as a Laker.

The Lakers clearly have other improvements to make to this team and a trade is likely needed to take this team from a fringe play-in squad to legitimate contenders, but the Lakers can take solace that Davis is reliable and one of the few bright spots in a season that’s been a mixed bag of mediocrity.