Watch: After poking Anthony Davis in the eye Raptors' $78M player hits LeBron James in the face inadvertently
Anthony Davis and LeBron James were on the receiving end of a couple of painful hits from Raptors' $78 million center Jakob Poeltl. Davis went down in the third quarter with an eye injury after Poeltl tried to put him on a poster. The Lakers star blocked the shot. However, it resulted in him exiting the contest.
Here's AD's injury:
Davis had trouble seeing, as per Lakers coach JJ Redick. He will get his eye examined by an ophthalmologist.
Meanwhile, in the fourth quarter, LeBron took an inadvertent hit from Poeltl after driving for a layup and getting blocked by the Raptors big. Here's the possession:
Fortunately, the Lakers didn't suffer another injury blow. LeBron survived the hit and continued playing after coach JJ Redick called a timeout.
It was crucial, given that the Lakers had just built an 11-point advantage riding on LeBron James' back after Anthony Davis went down. He had 17 points and 14 assists until that point. He continued his aggressive approach on offense and added four more points, helping LA's lead stretch to a game-high 15 points.
LeBron James steps up as Anthony Davis goes down
Anthony Davis has been playing at an MVP-caliber level. The Lakers have relied heavily on him to take over games on a nightly basis.
He continued that against the Raptors, leading with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 25 minutes on 6 of 8 shots, including 2 of 2 from 3-point range. The Lakers trailed by 10 at one point, but Davis kept them in the game with his efficient scoring.
Once he went down, LeBron James stepped up and ensured the Lakers stayed on course. LA trailed 73-70 when Davis went down. With how reliant the Lakers have been on him, their chances of keeping their comeback on seemed bleak, but LeBron's second-half double-double with 14 points and 10 assists.
The Lakers turned the game around in that span. Austin Reaves also made significant contributions, tallying 22 of his 27 points in the final 24 minutes. He shot 8 of 11 in that span to bolster LA's 70-48 run, leading to a 123-103 blowout win.
The Lakers improved to 6-4 on the season and remained unbeaten at home after five games.