How Anthony Davis, LeBron James led Lakers to inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament championship over P

LAS VEGAS — Anthony Davis roared and stomped toward the sideline opposite the Lakers' bench. He bumped past Buddy Hield and pounded his chest as he talked to the pro-LA crowd.

"I'm him!" Davis screamed at the top of his lungs. "I'm him!"

It was a rare outburst of emotion from the typically reticent Davis — a reaction that signified how badly Davis wanted to win the NBA Cup on Saturday night. Seconds earlier, he had just scored his 10th straight point as part of a 13-0 Lakers run that iced the In-Season Tournament championship game.

With all eyes on Las Vegas for the In-Season Tournament championship matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers, Davis delivered one of the best performances of his future Hall-of-Fame career: 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four steals in 41 minutes as the Los Angeles beat Indiana 123-109 to win the inaugural NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena.

"I just try to do everything I can to win a basketball game," said Davis, who returned to his business-as-usual attitude postgame. "Obviously, my teammates put me in a great position to be successful. Obviously, this is special for us, just winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament. But we want to also win the same thing in June. It's a step in the right direction, obviously, but even though it's a big performance, it's another game and we've got to continue to get going starting back on Tuesday (in Dallas)."

Read the rest of my story here.

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