LeBron James, Anthony Davis lack "killer mentality": Charles Barkley makes startling claim

Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-103 victory against the Denver Nuggets with an impressive game-winning buzzer-beater. The shot extended the Lakers lead to 2-0, making Davis the first Laker to hit a buzzer-beater since 2010. However, during TNT’s Inside the NBA during half-time, Charles Barkley chose to call out both LeBron James and Anthony Davis for their performances. 

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Charles Barkley thinks LeBron James, Anthony Davis lack "killer mentality"

LeBron James and Anthony Davis have dominated the floor during the 2019-20 playoffs, leading their team to the Western Conference Finals in hopes of winning their 17th franchise title. With Davis on their roster, the Lakers have reached the NBA postseason for the first time in six seasons. However, Charles Barkley believes Davis and James lack "killer instincts".

While on Inside the NBA on TNT, Barkley started by comparing Davis to Derrick Coleman, adding that while he could be the greatest NBA player, he lacks the killer mentality needed. "He's just a nice guy that's a great player," Barkley reportedly said. As per reports, Barkley then also called out James, saying he too, lacks the required killer mentality. 

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According to NBA stats, Davis is leading the Lakers in the playoffs while scoring 28.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists. James, on the other hand, follows with a 25.5 point average in the postseason along with 9.9 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. The three-time NBA champion also passed Ray Allen on the all-time playoffs three-pointers list and is now the all-time leader for the most number of playoff wins in NBA history. 

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Lakers vs Nuggets highlights

This game, Davis finished with 31 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. He scored 22 points during the second half, 10 of which were the Lakers final points. LeBron James added 26 points and 11 rebounds, scoring 20 of those during the first half. Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 11 points each. Nikola Jokic posted 30 points for the Nuggets, while Jamal Murray added 25 points. The Nuggets made a comeback after Jokic's 11-point rally with 20 seconds left on the clock, but Davis' shot secured the Lakers' 105-103 win.

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(Image credits: AP)