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The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping star forward Anthony Davis will be ready to go for Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns following his groin injury, although things aren’t looking good for a quick turnaround.
Davis is listed as questionable for the matchup after an MRI confirmed his groin strain, per Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. He’ll be day-to-day going forward.
“These guys are great competitors. They’re always going to say, ‘I’m ignoring this; I’m going to be in there,’” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said following Monday’s practice. “That’s what his mindset is, like any competitor. But we’ll see what the groin feels like tomorrow, and we’ll make a smart decision. But he’s in great spirits.”
Lakers Not Optimistic on Anthony Davis Being Available
Davis never came out of the locker room following halftime of Game 4 due to the injury and the Lakers fell 100-92. With about a minute left in the first half, Davis tumbled to the ground and grabbed his groin.
While Davis will be battling hard to get on the floor, is there’s not a great feeling of optimism coming out of the Lakers camp that Davis will be able to suit up for the crucial Game 5, per ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“I’m not hearing great optimism about the possibility of Anthony Davis playing in Game 5,” Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter. “He has not been ruled out. He’s going to see how he feels today, into tomorrow. This is normally an injury that might take you a week to fully recover from in the regular season, but we are not in the regular season. The Lakers are 2-2 with the Suns. I think there is optimism that he could return later in the series if this were to go seven games. Right now, they’re going to do what they can with treatment, see where Anthony Davis is Tuesday in Phoenix. But there is real concern about his availability.”
Lakers Will Miss Anthony Davis on Both Sides of Court
Davis is also dealing with a knee sprain he suffered earlier in the series. He was just 2-of-9 shooting with six points in Game 4 before exiting with the injury. However, Davis was coming off a pair of 34 points, double-digit rebound performances, also providing some stifling defense.
“He’s one of those players that dominates both sides of the ball,” Vogel said. “We’re going to miss his scoring and everything he brings to the table offensively. But what he is defensively is deeply going to be missed with his ability to guard on the perimeter. We’ll definitely miss him on both sides of the ball if he does not play.”
With Davis out, more of the load will fall on LeBron James, who is rebounding from an ankle injury that derailed his MVP-caliber start to the year. The Lakers are 11-7 in games where James plays without Davis.
“These shoulders were built for a reason,” James told reporters following Sunday’s loss. “So, if it takes for me to put some more on top of it, then so be it. Win, lose or draw, I’m ready for the challenge.”
Game 5 is on Tuesday with the Suns opening up as 4.5-point favorites, per Odds Shark.
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