Is Anthony Davis playing tonight against Minnesota Timberwolves? | March 3, 2023 | 2022-23 NBA Season
Anthony Davis missed the LA Lakers' 123-117 win over the OKC Thunder on Wednesday night due to a right foot stress injury. Davis missed a good chunk of games from December to January because of the same injury.
However, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said that Davis' absence was a precautionary move.
"He's frustrated as hell," Ham said before the Thunder game. "He wants to be out there, but he also understands the process of us managing his foot the right way. ... It's just something we're monitoring that we want to be extra careful and cautious about."
With the Lakers back at the Crypto.com Arena and facing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Davis is now listed as probable. That means Davis will likely suit up. The Lakers (30-33), who are 11th in the Western Conference, will need him to be at his best if they want to qualify for at least the play-in tournament.
Apart from Anthony Davis, five more players are on the LA Lakers' injury report. LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell are listed as out, while Dennis Schroder has been listed as probable due to a left ankle sprain.
James is out for at least three weeks due to a right foot tendon injury, while Russell continues to deal with a right ankle sprain. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider are also listed as out, but they're not injured. Both players are signed to two-way contracts and are currently in the G League.
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Anthony Davis not the same after right foot injury
Anthony Davis looked like his old self at the start of the season. Davis was playing like an MVP, averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. However, he suffered a right leg injury on Dec. 16 against the Denver Nuggets.
Davis was ruled out indefinitely, and there were fears of him possibly suffering a serious injury. He missed 20 games before returning on Jan. 25 against the San Antonio Spurs. He's still producing good numbers for the LA Lakers but has not looked the same as he did earlier in the season.
The 29-year-old big man is only averaging 22.7 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.7 spg and 2.1 bpg. He's still playing great defense but has been less aggressive at the offensive end. The Lakers will need him to take over games, considering the absence of LeBron James for at least the next three weeks.
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