The Lakers’ star forward Anthony Davis is confident he will play Tuesday’s game against the Pels after an injury suffered on Sunday.
Anthony Davis Set to Return To Action Against Pelicans After Injury
After suffering what appeared to be hip and back spasms during a bad fall in Sunday’s 124-108 win over the Pelicans, Anthony Davis told reporters he was still ready to go for a vital play-in match on Tuesday against the same team despite what looked like a scary injury.
“There’s no doubt I’m gonna play (on Tuesday),” Davis told Lakers beat writer Jovan Buha.
Anthony Davis suffered the injury after Pels forward Larry Nance Jr. pushed in the back as Davis attempted a layup. Davis felt and touched his lower back in discomfort for 30 seconds before signaling for a sub. He didn’t check in for the rest of the game.
At the time, AD had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists on 13-17 shooting in 32 minutes. It was his 64th double-double of the season, only trailing Nikola Jokić (68) and Domantas Sabonis (77) in the season.
Although he criticized the play as a “dangerous play” coming from Nance’s end, he still expressed confidence that he would suit up for Tuesday’s play-in game. “I mean, I was in the air, so probably a dangerous play. I know he [Larry Nance Jr.] is probably not a dangerous player, though. No doubt I’m going to play, but I’ll just see how it feels for the rest of the day.”
Anthony Davis called the push from Larry Nance Jr. a “dangerous play” but said there was “no doubt” he will be ready to play in the play-in game on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/WhFeDjm12o
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 14, 2024
Tuesday’s play-in game at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome will come more quickly than many anticipate. The Lakers have all of one day to recuperate from last game’s wounds, go over game film, get some light practice in, and rest for a vital matchup to determine who will claim the West’s #7 seed. In Anthony Davis’ case, he’ll only have 24 hours to manage his injury.
Lakers Dominant In Key Away Game
Although the Lakers ultimately walked away without home-court advantage in their matchup with the Pelicans, they had a dominant game to set the tone for their game. They held the lead for the entire game and never let go. LeBron James had an insane 28-point, 11-rebound, 17-assist triple-double on 11-20 shooting. D’Angelo Russell had 19 points, Austin Reaves had 20, and the bench put in a collected defensive effort to stifle the Pelicans’ stars. They kept Zion Williamson quiet with just 12 points on 4-13 shooting while forcing 19 turnovers and 17 personal fouls. The Lakers came out playing possessed, bullying the Pels in the paint, and walking away with a shocking victory to set the tone on home turf.
Their fight on Tuesday is one of utmost importance. The winner will play the #2-seeded Nuggets, led by Jokić, who have looked simply unstoppable at the times. The loser will play the winner between the Warriors and the Kings for a chance at facing the #1-seeded Thunder, led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Once we defend, we get stops, hold teams one shot, what we do offensively is just through the roof, like, it’s hard to contain us,” head coach Darwin Ham told Buha after the Lakers’ 116-97 win over the Cavaliers. “And the defense helps the offense.” Ham’s quote will need to ring true in Tuesday’s marquee matchup.
