It was the game Los Angeles Lakers fans have been waiting for as Anthony Davis finally made his return to the court against the San Antonio Spurs after missing over a month.
The Lakers managed to tread water while Davis was out, but it was evident watching him go to work against the Spurs that he was sorely missed.
The star big man wound up playing 25 minutes, recording 21 points and 12 rebounds to go along with four blocks to help Los Angeles to a win over San Antonio.
Of course, everyone was curious how Davis was feeling after his first game back and he emphasized that he was doing well in an interview with Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet:
“I feel great. Felt good on the floor, foot feels fine, good to be out there with the guys battling. It was good because it was a close game. We really had to battle until the last maybe four or five minutes, so it was a really good test for me going into this road trip. But overall, I’m happy to be back on the court with these guys battling, man. It was a long five-and-a-half weeks. Feels good to come back, get a win and ultimately just be back on the floor with these guys supporting them.”
When Davis first entered the contest, it looked like he was still feeling things out. However, he noted that he was able to play more aggressively once he realized his foot felt fine:
“Anytime you come back that first game, first practice, whatever you always kind of tender. You wanna test it out, see how it feels in live action. You can kinda test it out during pick up and things like that, but in the real game where it matters when you don’t know what other guys are doing that’s the ultimate test. For me, that first, like, 30 seconds to a minute I just wanted to see if I was feeling anything or was anything gonna flare up. Once I didn’t feel anything my mind was like, ‘Alright, it’s time to go’ and that’s when I was able to play my game.”
It was exciting to see Davis back on the floor dominating both ends. If he’s able to stay healthy, it surely changes the calculus for the Lakers ahead of the trade deadline.
Rob Pelinka willing to trade first-round picks if it elevates Lakers to championship front-runners
Los Angeles made its first in-season trade by acquiring Rui Hachimura. Hachimura adds more size and length to a roster devoid of it, though there are still improvements to be made. In that vein, Rob Pelinka said that he would be willing to trade the team’s first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 if they’re able to find a move that vaults them into championship contention.
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