Anthony Davis leaves blowout loss to Clippers early with back spasms
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis left their blowout 118-94 loss to the Clippers on Thursday early after appearing to injure his ankle in the opening minutes at the Staples Center.
Davis left the contest just minutes into the game after falling over onto a video board along the sidelines/ The team later said that Davis was dealing with back spasms, however, not an ankle injury.
The Lakers say that Anthony Davis has back spasms and will not return.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 7, 2021
Anthony Davis appeared to injure ankle
Davis pulled up for a contested 3-pointer on the wing less than four minutes into the game, though was off the mark.
As he stumbled back, Davis ran into a video board on the sidelines and fell to the ground — where he reached for his right ankle clearly in pain.
Here is where Anthony Davis tweaked his ankle, for those who didn't see. He's currently in the locker room. No word from the Lakers on his status. He stayed in the game after this, but hasn't been seen since his shift ended. pic.twitter.com/x6RL1A0Uu7
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) May 7, 2021
Davis stayed in the game for a few minutes before he was replaced by Markieff Morris, and did not return. He finished the night with four points and one rebound in nine minutes.
While it looked like a clear ankle injury, the Lakers announced early in the third quarter that Davis was in fact dealing with a back injury instead.
Davis said after the game that his ankle was fine, but that his "back locked up pretty bad" after colliding with the table.
"The ankle is fine," Anthony Davis said. "...Back locked up pretty bad. ...See how it is tomorrow. Should be good to go tomorrow based on how it's feeling now."
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) May 7, 2021
Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 25 points while shooting 9-of-19 from the field, and Montrezl Harrell added 14 points off the bench. They were the only two players to score in double figures for the Lakers.
Paul George led the Clippers with 24 points and seven rebounds, and Kawhi Leonard dropped 15 points with eight rebounds. They shot nearly 54% from the field, compared to just 38% from the Lakers, and outrebounded the Lakers by 12.
It's unclear how long Davis will be sidelined with his back injury, however is absence could significantly impact the Western Conference playoff picture. The Lakers are set to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, and both teams are tied for the sixth spot with a 37-29 record. The loser of that game will fall back into the seventh seed — meaning that they'll have to compete in the NBA's new postseason play-in.
Davis, though, said he expected to be available for Friday's matchup.
"I should be good to go tomorrow," Davis said, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "My plan is to play tomorrow."
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