WATCH: Lakers’ LeBron James Laughs as Anthony Davis Gets Frustrated with Minutes Restrictions

Published 04/23/2021, 2:27 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Anthony Davis made his long-awaited return to the court tonight. After a two-month absence, Davis took to the court as the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks. AD went down injured with a calf strain in early February. Because of his history with injuries, and the similar nature of the injury to Kevin Durant, the Lakers did not risk bringing him back too soon. But even on his return, Davis had to play with a minutes restriction.

Anthony Davis unhappy on his return

Anthony Davis wasn’t happy with the minutes restriction. Only being allowed to play for 15 minutes, Davis had to come off the court in the third quarter.

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He showed visible frustration as walked off the court and sat on the sidelines. In an effort to raise his spirits, James was laughing and making jokes around Davis as the duo watched the Los Angeles Lakers lose the game to the Dallas Mavericks.

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Davis’ return to the court was far from perfect. AD showed signs of rust, having not played for two and a half months.

During the game, Davis scored just 4 points on 2-10 shooting. Despite his struggling performance, the Lakers will be glad to have Davis back in the fold. Coach Frank Vogel will hope that AD can play himself into form as the final stretch of the season begins.

‘Got a New Player: Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma Hypes Up Anthony Davis’ Return From Injury

Currently, the Los Angeles Lakers are the fifth seed in the Western Conference and hoping to go down the stretch. The absences of LeBron James and Anthony Davis significantly hampered their performances this season.

The return of AD will be a big boost for the Lakers in the final stretch of the season. However, the Lakers will need both Anthony Davis and LeBron James at full health to find playoff success.

Lakers facing threats in the NBA

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Several teams have made significant improvements coming into the season. The Clippers look a much more cohesive team and have a traditional point guard in Rajon Rondo.

Rondo is an important signing for the playoffs, as he improves his performances during the post-season. Even the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers are a big threat to the Lakers’ title defense if they can make it out the West.

USA Today via Reuters

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Can the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA championship again this season? They have a lot of work to do going forward into the post-season. The fitness of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, along with the time they need to find their form back, will determine the Lakers’ success.

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Written by:

Aaditya Krishnamurthy

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Aaditya Krishnamurthy is an NBA & NFL journalist for EssentiallySports, before which he worked at BusinessWorld magazine. He has been a fan of Basketball for over 10 years now, since Shaquille O’Neal was a Phoenix Suns player. During his time at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, he started a sports magazine for the college called the Overtime Tribune and hosted the Overtime Tribune Podcast until he graduated.
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