The Nuggets‘ 108-106 victory made them the second team to advance into the second round of the playoffs. But such a high-pressure and crucial game is never smooth sailing. There are bound to be injuries, fouls (accidental or purposeful), and most importantly, the superstars or a key player of the team ending up getting sidelined. Or, at the very least, pretty badly injured.

This time, it was none other than Anthony Davis. An early third-quarter collision with Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. saw AD writhing on the floor with pain while clutching his shoulder. Pretty much every Lakers fan was shaking their heads, knowing that whatever chance they might have had, was gone. But Davis stayed in the game to see it through to the finish.

But it seems like the clash wasn’t a simple hit, nor was Anthony Davis trying to sell the foul. According to Lakers Nation on X, “Anthony Davis says the stinger caused him to lose feeling from his neck all the way to his hand. He tried to come back out and make an impact to help the team, but was clearly limited.” 

Given how stingers affect the nerves in the upper arm, at either the neck or shoulder, often from a form of contact, Davis’ statement about losing all the feeling is a reasonable scenario. But even the most harmless of stingers take almost an hour to heal. So for AD to stay and put his best foot forward (or, in this case, his hand) was surely a testament to his dedication.

It was an alarming moment for the ‘Purple & Gold’. Even though the whole team worked well, the absence of Anthony Davis would have been too big a void to fill. And given how collisions are routine in a contact sport like basketball, stingers are commonplace.

While most heal without medical attention, leaving multiple stingers with no treatment can lead to lasting nerve damage. So, how did the 9x All-Star manage to continue playing?

Anthony Davis thanks trainers for his continued stay

Davis credited his trainers for his return to the court. According to Lakers beat reporter Mike Trudell, “Davis said he was having trouble moving his shoulder, but credited his trainers for ‘Digging into my scapula to relax the nerves and stuff like that,’ to get it loose enough to return.” 

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No one will argue that the LA team hadn’t laid it all on the floor tonight vs. the Denver Nuggets. Game 4 saw them break their embarrassing 11-game losing streak against the Nuggets, hoping to repeat the same winning formula tonight.

Unfortunately, despite all the Lakers starters scoring in double digits and an all-around team effort, Denver was simply the better team.