Anthony Davis left in the first quarter of the Lakers 115-113 Christmas Day win over the Warriors with a no-contact injury.
The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off an impressive 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors despite missing Anthony Davis for a majority of the game, with the center picking up an injury after just seven minutes and not returning to the court.
Fans were worried that this could lead to a lengthy layoff for Davis, which could annihilate the Lakers' chances of success this season. Thankfully, the center confirmed to ESPN that he is fine and will be playing in their next game against the Sacramento Kings.
“I’ll be OK. I am playing against SAC on Saturday”
Many people were quick to attack Davis for sitting out the game on what didn't appear to be a major injury, but its no-contact nature made most fans worried about his health.
Some disgruntled bettors started bringing up years-old criticisms of him being injury-prone, which are completely foolish based on our analysis of Davis becoming an Iron Man for the Lakers in the last two years. This nature can be seen as he openly confirmed he won't miss their next game.
Whether Davis plays or not might not be up to him, as the Lakers will have the final say. If they believe he can worsen his injury without letting it heal properly, they will take this decision out of the center's hands.
This is similar to what happened to LeBron earlier this season based on a late recommendation which prompted him to take time off despite it going against his wishes.
Anthony Davis has been officially classified as day-to-day, so it could lead to him missing the Kings game on Friday, with the Lakers already having won three games against them this season.
"Anthony Davis is able to walk without any support after suffering his left ankle sprain, sources told ESPN. He will be considered day-to-day going forward and will be reevaluated prior to LAL’s next game on 12/28 vs. SAC and it’s possible he could return."
Davis is integral to the Lakers' success, averaging 25.7 points and 11.4 rebounds this season as a two-way monster. They cannot afford for him to have any sort of extended absence, as it could completely torpedo the Lakers' season. This reinforces their need to bring in another big man to insulate the nine-time All-Star and have some sort of an answer when he's off the court.
The Warriors aren't a big team so the Lakers weren't adversely impacted tonight, but this wouldn't be the case against most elite West teams who all have robust big-man rotations. It seems the Lakers might have moved on from their pursuit of Jonas Valanciunas, so it's time they pick a big and make a real offer for them to
