LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis scored 18 of his 37 points during a phenomenal second-quarter surge, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the injury-depleted Philadelphia 76ers 120-107 on Tuesday night.
LeBron James had 22 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds for the Lakers, who moved to 47-13 with their ninth win in 10 games. Davis hit four 3-pointers while going 13 of 19 from the field and grabbing 13 rebounds.
The Lakers needed every bit of their All-Stars’ brilliance to hold off a solid effort by the undermanned Sixers, who played without injured starters Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson.
Glenn Robinson III matched his career high with 25 points and Tobias Harris had 18 for the Sixers, who have lost nine consecutive road games since Jan. 20.
Philadelphia lost twice at Staples Center to start its four-game California road trip despite this persistent effort against the powerhouse Lakers.
Philly’s role players and backups got off to an impressive start, taking an early 13-point lead. That’s when Davis took control as part of a 42-10 run by the Lakers in 10 minutes spanning halftime.
With Davis hitting three 3-pointers, making all seven of his second-quarter shots, and even throwing a crossover dribble at Al Horford along the way, the Lakers made 17 of their 19 shots during the impressive streak.
Dwight Howard had 11 points without missing a shot at the line or in the field for the Lakers.
The teams split their season series. The 76ers beat the Lakers 108-91 on Jan. 25 while James passed Kobe Bryant for third place on the NBA’s career scoring list. Bryant died in a helicopter crash the next morning, several hours after congratulating James on the accomplishment.