Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers can’t catch a break on the injury front and lost star big man Anthony Davis to an ankle sprain during a 106-101 win against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
After jumping to catch a pass, Davis came down on the shoe of Jazz center Rudy Gobert and immediately went down in writhing pain, rolling around on the ground. The team announced that the official diagnosis was an ankle sprain and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin added that Davis will be sidelined for at least two weeks, which comes with some fortunate timing with the All-Star break arriving.
Video of the Anthony Davis injury. If he’s out any period of time, season’s over for LA
Davis could only miss 2-3 games, although it’s uncertain how long it will take him to rebound from a second significant lower-body injury this season. But with the team sitting at 27-31 and in the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference, every game will matter immensely going forward as the Lakers look to hit their stride heading into the postseason. If he’s out a chunk of time, it could be devastating to the Lakers’ playoff hopes
LeBron James Sickened by Anthony Davis’ Latest Injury
Injuries to Davis, LeBron James and others have derailed the Lakers’ season and head coach Frank Vogel barely had the words to describe the team’s misfortune after the matchup.
“Just shaking his head about, you know, really everything,” Vogel told reporters after the game. “Obviously I’m not sure what it felt like, but just being frustrated about it looking like he’s going to miss some time again.”
James echoed that sentiment from his head coach in his postgame presser.
“Obviously it’s sickening to see AD go down in that fashion,” James told reporters. “I hope he’s fine. Obviously, I mean, I know he’s not like, great, but obviously his health is most important for him individually, for our ballclub. I’ve seen [teammates get injured] too many times, obviously. So I just wish him the best.”
Davis had an MCL sprain earlier this season that forced him to miss 17 straight games. James referenced the All-Star break and nine days off as a key detail of Davis’ recovery.
“The good thing is, he’ll be a lot better when we come back than he is tonight,” James said. “No matter where he is, he’ll be better a week from today. … So time heals all, and like I said, it’s an unfortunate play, an unfortunate event, and he’ll get back as soon as he can. But nothing to rush.”
Frank Vogel Credits Lakers for Resilence
James led the way in the electrifying comeback win against the Jazz, scoring 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter. It could be a galvanizing moment for the Lakers, especially in the wake of Davis’ injury.
“It would have been easy to fold the tent and give in and let go of the rope as Utah was making their run, knowing that we just lost AD,” Vogel said. “Hopefully this game will be a lesson of what the big picture looks like for our team: Overcoming this type of adversity.”
James will be the only Lakers player at the All-Star game, after leading the league in voting for a sixth straight season.