There was not much to be upset about regarding the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. The purple and gold rushed out to an early lead and never relinquished it, leading by 38 points at one point en route to securing a commanding 3-1 lead in the first round.
One potentially daunting piece of news from the game, however, was star big man Anthony Davis leaving with back spasms in the third quarter. Davis, who was elbowed in the chin earlier in the game and seemed to be shaken up by it, left with 9:21 remaining in the third quarter and never returned. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, he had equipment around his back after returning to the bench.
Fortunately, AD doesn’t seem too bothered by the injury and told the media that he would play in Wednesday’s game five where the Lakers could win their first playoff series since 2012. This could have just been a precautionary measure given how much the Lakers were up throughout this game.
Meanwhile, Blazers star Damian Lillard also left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury and will have a second MRI on Tuesday after results from the first one came up inconclusive.
These injuries really drive home the importance of taking care of business and escaping the first round without any more bruises. The Lakers will play either the Rockets or the Thunder in the next round, if they advance, and that series will go at least six games, giving Davis and others a little bit of extra time to rest and recover.
