The Los Angeles Lakers engaged the New Orleans Pelicans in a pivotal regular-season finale. Los Angeles bested New Orleans 124-108 off stout performances from Anthony Davis and LeBron James; however, Davis suffered a concerning injury in the matchup. The details of his injury were revealed after the game.
The initial belief is Davis experienced hip and back spams after being pushed in the air by Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. and landing awkwardly, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Thankfully, Davis' injury does not appear to be too serious.
Head Coach Darvin Ham gave a bright outlook on the forward's status. He said Davis' spasms were “nothing major,” and that he was “extremely optimistic” about him moving forward with Tuesday's Play-In game looming.
Hopefully, Anthony Davis will have an efficient recovery from his injury woes. Los Angeles will need the grit he displayed on Sunday for their postseason aspirations.
The star Lakers forward imposed himself on both sides of the ball in the Pelicans game. He ended the matchup with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals. Davis was not the only one who showed up big for LA.
LeBron James channeled unmatched energy and finished with an impressive triple-double. James amassed 28 points, 17 assists, and 11 rebounds. The veteran forward refuses to let his team enter the postseason cold.
What makes the Lakers' win over the Pelicans even more impressive is the production they received from their role players. D'Angelo Russell scored 19 points and dished four assists. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves put up 20 points, and Rui Hachimura totaled 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
As long as Anthony Davis recovers well, the Lakers will have a fearsome squad going into the Play-In. Can they make another deep run and eclipse their 2023 showing?
Lakers prepare for intense battles
Los Angeles needs to bring its best performance in the Play-In round to achieve its postseason goals. LA found itself in a similar position in 2023 when it battled through the Play-In and the early rounds to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the Denver Nuggets swept the Lakers 4-0, but things look different this time.
LeBron James knows he does not have much time left to win another championship. His performance on Sunday shows his determination to help his team play as best as possible. Moreover, the Lakers do not have the luxury of a secured top-five spot, which makes their upcoming matchups more pressurized.
Thus, Anthony Davis must be injury-free and ready to play. The 31-year-old had a phenomenal 2023-24 season. In addition to averaging 24.6 points and 2.4 blocks, Davis amassed a career-high 12.7 rebounds per contest. He also tied his career-best in games played at 75.
Like James, Davis is determined to help will his team to victory. Los Angeles nearly blew their commanding lead against the Grizzlies on April 12th, but Davis helped the team rally and win 123-120. Davis gave a fitting outlook on Los Angeles' mentality going into the postseason after the Grizzlies game.
“You try to get as many wins as possible, whether they're clean wins, ugly wins…We're kind of in that mode now,” Davis said, per ClutchPoints' Michael Corvo.
The Lakers will indeed get wins in whatever way they can. They have to if they want to advance for the opportunity for a full series in the Western Conference Playoffs.
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