Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins.
The Los Angeles Lakers may not be facing the Golden State Warriors at full strength for a critical Game 6 on Friday, with forward Andrew Wiggins dealing with a rib injury.
Wiggins has been dubbed questionable for the matchup by the Warriors, which would be a huge loss for the defending champs. The former No. 1 overall pick has rounded into form after missing 22 games to close out the regular season. Wiggins is averaging 16.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the series.
Wiggins was at shootaround prior to Game 6, attempting to see if he could play. Wiggins won’t be 100%, he plans to try to get on the court for the eliminantion game, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
At this hour, the belief is that Andrew Wiggins will try and play in Game 6 tonight, sources tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski tweeted. “He’ll go through his pregame routine and see how his costal cartilage fracture/ribs feel prior to tip. Regardless, shooting will be a challenge.”
Wiggins suffered the injury while going up for a fourth quarter offensive rebound with LeBron James, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. Wiggins grabbed at his side a few times during the remainder of the game but was able to play through it effectivley.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr praised Wiggins after he posted 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a win-or-go-home Game 5 against the Lakers.
“This was the best game Wiggs has played since he’s been back over the three weeks or so now,” Kerr said. “Just the way he attacked, the way he got to the rim, that just adds another dimension to our attack. I thought the last couple games in LA, we didn’t get to the line a ton. We settled for a lot of stuff and I thought Wiggs did a good job of really being aggressive.”
Anthony Davis Expected to Play for Lakers After Scare
Darvin Ham says Anthony Davis is not in the concussion protocol and listed as probable to play in Game 6 tomorrow.
On the Lakers side, all eyes have been on Anthony Davis, who exited with a head injury in Game 5. The fears were that Davis suffered a concussion after he left the matchup in a wheelchair. That is not the case and the Lakers’ star big man is not in the concussion protocol, per head coach Darvin Ham. Davis is listed as probable.
“We checked in with him. He’s feeling great. Our medical staff gave us a great update. He’s not in the protocol. Not showing any signs of anything. He’ll be listed as probable tomorrow,” Ham said on Thursday. “That was great, great news.”
Davis is averaging 22.4 points on 58.1% shooting, 13.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 steals in the series. He’s been inconsistent at times but has been the X-factor for the Lakers in their victories.
Draymond Green Defends Anthony Davis After Head Injury
“The smallest hit to the wrong part of the head can change your life”
—@Money23Green isn’t here for the jokes about Anthony Davis’ injury
The Warriors would have an easier route to comeback in the series if Davis wasn’t playing but Draymond Green wouldn’t have wanted it that way. The former Defensive Player of the Year has been matched up on Davis and was happy to hear he’d likely be on the court.
“We all heard the news about (Davis). Also recently just heard that he’s expected to play, which I’m happy about. You never want to play against a team not at their best,” Green said. “And also, just don’t play with those head injuries. They’re serious. I saw a lot of people laughing, but it’s a hit to the head. And one small hit to the head can change everything in your life, so I don’t really understand the joke.”
A lot of the negative talk around Davis stems from his injury history. TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley caught some flak for apparently laughing at Davis’ concussion scare against the Warriors.