Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis both suffered potentially concerning injuries during the Game 4 win against the Denver Nuggets.
James took a knee to his thigh, while Davis rolled his ankle badly. Both stayed in the game, but required treatment after the fact.
With Game 5 taking place on Saturday, and the Lakers having a chance to close out the series and move on to the NBA Finals, it’s possible that James and Davis could play through their injuries to get the extended rest.
“They’ll continue to get their treatment. Both are experiencing some soreness but are good to go,” Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said of his stars.
James is officially listed on the injury report as probable but suffering from a sore right groin. That’s despite when begin specifically asked about the 17-year veteran, Vogel said, “I think he got kneed in the thigh, so just some soreness.”
James has regularly been listed on the injury report throughout the season and playoffs because of the groin trouble. He missed four of the Lakers’ 71 games during the regular season.
Davis being listed as questionable is a little more cause for concern. Like James, Davis is frequently probable on the injury report, but it almost never affects him actually playing. While Vogel said he is good to go, it is something to keep an eye on as tipoff approaches.
The big man previously pushed through minor ailments throughout the year. Davis noted one benefit from the NBA shutdown was allowing to fully recover from nagging injuries.
Davis ‘feels fine,’ expects to play Game 5
Like Vogel, Davis has also gone on record to say that his plan is to play in Game 5. While there’s no guessing how he’ll feel as he starts his pregame, it’s the likeliest scenario that he plays.
“Rolled it pretty bad but not too bad. I’ll be fine,” Davis said after Game 4.
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