USA Today via Reuters
Feb 13, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) is defended by Detroit Pistons center James Wiseman (13) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
In the heavily anticipated showdown between the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers, sans their main man LeBron James, have been looking to Anthony Davis to hold down the fort. And that’s exactly what he’s been doing, as evidenced by all their recent wins. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, AD took a shot to the face and has been rubbing his eyes ever since. He was getting his peepers checked by the team doc while the Lakers fans held their breath!
Moving forward, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis (averaging 24.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game) was forced to leave Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter with an eye contusion.
Anthony Davis was rubbing his eye for multiple possessions after taking a shot to the face. He's in the Lakers' locker room getting it looked at
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) March 17, 2024
According to team sources, Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis inadvertently poked Davis in the eye while he drove to the basket. Despite playing only 12 minutes, Davis managed to contribute to his team to put them in a stable position.
Anthony Davis left the game after being poked in the eye in the 1st quarter.
Hope he’s alright 🙏
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 17, 2024
With AD out, “GSW erased what was as much as a 7-point lead to take a 67-66 lead at the half. LA Lakers struggled to get stops in allowing 37 points in that 2nd Q, even as they shot 57.4% as a team” as per Mike Trudell (Reporter for the Lakers).
In his short 12-minute stint, Davis still managed to chip in 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists before his trip to the ophthalmologist.
Anthony Davis’ Scorching Seasons Stats!
“The Brow” has appeared in a whopping 63 games, his most since the 2019-20 season. However, he missed games in late January and early February due to lingering hip and Achilles issues. These issues cast a bit of a shadow over the Lakers’ playoff hopes, considering they’re currently sitting at 36-31 and clinging to 9th place in the Western Conference.
On the bright side, AD has been a beast on the court this season. His stat line is a thing of beauty with his shooting accuracy coming in hot with a scorching 55.2% from the field and 26.3% from downtown.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 21, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts to a foul called in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
One standout performance this season came on March 11th against the Timberwolves. Davis had a monstrous night, grabbing 25 rebounds, just one shy of his career-high. He also recorded a career-high 7 steals in that game, the most for a Laker since Dwight Howard’s dominant 26-rebound performance back in his All-Star days of January 6th, 2013.
In Davis’ absence, LeBron James has stepped up with a staggering 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists, while his team trails 109-116 to the Golden State Warriors with 5 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. Will AD return to complete the AD-James duo in their next showdown against the Atlanta Hawks on March 19th, or will he join Trae Young on the injury report? Stay tuned to find out!
Read More: Is Anthony Davis Playing Tonight vs Warriors? Lakers Injury Report Reveals 9x All-Star’s Status
