Lakers Rumors: Anthony Davis ‘Unlikely’ To Play In Game 5 Against Suns
(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers received a crushing blow in their Game 4 loss to the Phoenix Suns when Anthony Davis went down with a left groin strain just before the end of the first half.

Davis was already coming into the game hobbled having sprained his knee in Game 3 and wasn’t looking like his usual self throughout the course of the first half. He then hurt the groin after falling on a drive to the basket just before halftime.

When the Lakers came out for the third quarter, Kyle Kuzma started in Davis’ place and the latter was later ruled out for the game. Phoenix was able to take advantage by going on a third-quarter run to take a double-digit lead and never looked back, tying the series at two games apiece.

The Lakers did receive some positive news when it comes to Davis’ status as it was reported that he avoided a serious groin injury and would be considered day-to-day with a chance to play in Game 5.

It appears the quick turnaround from Sunday to Tuesday won’t be enough for Davis to get right though as Shams Charania of The Athletic is now reporting that Davis is unlikely to play, although the team is still optimistic that it won’t be a long-term injury:

Game 5 will be the biggest game of the Lakers’ season, so in a perfect world, Davis would have been able to suit up and dominate the way he did in both the Games 2 and 3 wins.

Sitting him out is clearly the right thing to do to ensure his long-term health though as winning one game is not worth the risk of potentially losing Davis for the entire playoffs. Groin strains can be tricky and one day of rest just isn’t enough for a player to get healthy enough to play meaningful minutes in a postseason game, even if it is only a Grade 1 strain.

LeBron ready to carry load without Davis

In Davis’ absence, other players will have to step up for the Lakers, which hasn’t exactly been the case in this series.

Chief among them, of course, is LeBron James and he said after the Game 4 loss that he is ready to carry the load if that’s what it takes to win this series.

“For me, it’s putting our team in position to be successful. It starts with my approach,” James said. “It starts with my accountability and trickles down to everybody else. These shoulders were built for a reason and if it takes for me to put more on top of it then so be it. Win, lose or draw. I’m ready for the challenge.”

As great as James is though, it takes more than just him to beat a tough team like the Suns, so other players are going to have to increase their level of play as well, which won’t be easy in a tough road environment in Phoenix.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

You May Also Like

Lakers News: LeBron James Credits Lack Of Turnovers For Win Over Kings

Any time a team plays a pace, turnovers are inevitably going to be an issue. For the Los Angeles Lakers, there have been…

Lakers Video: Jaren Jackson Jr. & Paul George Discuss If Dillon Brooks’ Old Comments Motivated LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers may have gotten swept out of the Western Conference Finals, but the fact that they got that far…

Austin Reaves Believes Lakers Are In Great Space Mentally & Have Gelled Well Since Trade Deadline

One of the biggest reasons the Los Angeles Lakers are playing their best basketball of the season is because of the emergence…

Jeanie Buss Proud Lakers Organically Paying Tribute To Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers have endured so much in one calendar year, but the storied franchise overcame all those…