Statistically speaking, Anthony Davis had a solid night against the Houston Rockets with 23 points, seven rebounds and two steals. But the Los Angeles Lakers’ big man never looked like himself throughout the night.
The Lakers’ superstar wasn’t quite moving right and head coach Darvin Ham chose to sit Davis for the fourth quarter. The Lakers were down big but made a run to cut their deficit down to 10. But even still, Davis remained on the bench in what turned out to be an 18-point loss in Houston.
Afterwards, Davis admitted his groin injury flared up in the second half and impacted his movement and ultimately his ability to impact the game the way he normally does, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“A little sore… I just couldn’t move how I usually move on both ends of the floor [in the second half].”
Making things tougher for Davis and the Lakers is that this was the first night of a back-to-back with L.A. heading to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Tuesday. Davis gave himself an injury designation, saying he will be a game-time decision on Tuesday night against the Hawks. He was later ruled out, however, so L.A. will be without the big man in Atlanta.
Davis has been able to remain relatively healthy throughout this season, missing only two games so far after struggling to stay on the court the last couple years. These types of injuries are always concerning, however, as they can linger on and are difficult to get rid of. Usually it is a matter of rest, but Davis has done a great job of managing the minor ailments this season.
It has led to an outstanding season for Davis so far, which will almost surely result in his first All-Star selection since 2021. The Lakers’ superstar is averaging 25 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 blocks this season.
Even though the Lakers as a whole have struggled, it has been excellent to see Davis re-establish himself as one of the premier big men in the NBA. Hopefully he will be able to brush this off and continue with his amazing season after missing one game against the Hawks.
Anthony Davis discusses Lakers’ recent offensive success
Things didn’t go the Lakers way against the Rockets, but overall the team has looked better recently, especially offensively. In the mind of Anthony Davis, this is because the team is playing together and unselfishly.
“We’re just playing together, sharing the basketball. When you play the right way, good things tend to happen,” Davis said. “We’re not being selfish, we’re not holding the ball too long. Guys are making the right plays. If you see a crowd, we’re moving on, and guys are being quick decision-makers either passing and shooting or driving it.
“So when we play free, play together like we are, sharing the basketball, then the assist numbers goes up, and guys are able to shoot the ball with confidence and know that the ball will come to me if I’m open instead of getting the ball and trying to force one if you haven’t touched one in a while.”
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