When Anthony Davis felt something in his abdomen and went back to the locker room not to return Tuesday night, the Lakers had a three-point lead over the shorthanded 76ers. The Lakers fell apart after that, with Tyrese Maxey getting to the rim without resistance on his way to 43 points. The Lakers trailed by as many as 25 at one point before losing by 14. While other factors were involved in the collapse (the third game in four nights for Los Angeles), consider that a sign of how much Davis means to the Lakers.
The team announced that he will be out at least a week with an abdominal strain.
LAKERS MEDICAL UPDATE:
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 29, 2025
Lakers forward Anthony Davis underwent an MRI today that confirmed an abdominal muscle strain. The injury occurred in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s game at Philadelphia.
Davis will return to Los Angeles today and be re-evaluated in approximately…
Davis, who almost certainly will be named an All-Star Game reserve on Thursday night, is averaging 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds a game while playing elite defense for the Lakers. As LeBron James has said multiple times, he is the Lakers’ best player right now.
This injury provides a little weight to Davis’ call for the Lakers to get a center to play next to him. Davis prefers to play the four, not bang in the post at the five, and wants the team to get a more traditional center at the trade deadline. The Lakers are in the market for a big and while they have made a strong push for Utah’s Walker Kessler the Jazz’s asking price appears too high for the Lakers taste (and Danny Ainge isn’t the guy who sells at a discount). If Myles Turner truly is available from Indiana, the Lakers need to consider that, but he’s going to want a $30 million-a-year contract after his current one. Other guys, such as Robert Williams III and Jonas Valančiūnas, are also available.