National Basketball Association

High Brow Performance

Updated Aug. 21, 2020 1:05 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Lakers rebounded in Game 2 of their playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers with a 111-88 demolition to even the series.

And at the center of the postgame discussion was Anthony Davis, who carried the Lakers with 31 points – on 61.9 percent shooting – and 11 rebounds.

His 30-plus points in less than 30 minutes put him in esteemed company, too.

With LeBron James having a woeful shooting night (10 points on 36.4 percent from the field), the Lakers needed Davis to step up, and he did, both on the defensive side of the floor and with some highlight-reel plays on the other end.

Although he posted 28 points in Game 1, it was on 8-for-24 shooting. So come Thursday, Shannon Sharpe believes Davis refocused his mentality to be more aggressive, and it paid dividends.

"Last night he had a mindset: 'I'm going to dominate this game. I'm going to dominate their bigs, and there's nothing they can do about it.' And when he plays like this, no one ⁠— and let me say this for the people in the back that might be doing something ⁠— no one can see AD when he brings this mindset into a ballgame."

Kendrick Perkins, who won a title with the Boston Celtics in 2007-08, wasn't shy in his praise for a fellow big man in Davis.

"Anthony Davis is the best big man in the league. He's a generational talent. He's one of one."

Given the close relationship between Davis and James, it's fair to wonder if the two exchanged any words of wisdom heading into the crucial Game 2. As it turns out, LeBron left Davis to think on his own following Game 1, before offering encouragement.

"I was really down on myself after Game 1. Like I said, I didn’t feel like I performed to the level I needed to. And [James] let me have my moment, you know, and kind of get on myself. And then he talked to me and said I was fine. He said it’s one game."

As for the Trail Blazers, the unfortunate news of Damian Lillard's dislocated finger is compounded by the fact that, in Nick Wright's opinion, the series is now all but over.

Game 3 tips off on Saturday in primetime at 8:30 p.m. ET.