Update: The Lakers have officially diagnosed Anthony Davis with a “mid-foot sprain” and say he will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Davis has already missed 21 games this season due to injury, not including Wednesday’s win over the Jazz.
Original Story Follows:
Anthony Davis is the heart and soul of the Los Angeles Lakers. Whatever it is that this team aims to be, it just can’t without him. That’s why every fall, bump, and bruise makes fans hold their collective breath. Wednesday night’s events were no different, as the Lakers have to prepare to be without their big man again.
Davis badly rolled his right ankle in the second quarter of their victory against the Utah Jazz. There was a collective hush that filled Cypto.com Arena. Sadly, it isn’t the first time they’ve dealt with something like this. Davis was immediately helped to the locker-room by teammates. He started the game on pace for one of his best performances this year with 17 early points, mostly above the rim.
The Lakers took an X-ray, with results reported by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
Official word from the Lakers: Anthony Davis has a right ankle sprain; X-rays were negative. No time table for recovery provided at this time. He will be reevaluated after the All-Star break.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 17, 2022
The injury sucks, but the immediate news definitely calms concerns. The degree in which his ankle bent did not look like just a sprain. It looked far worse.
Davis is scheduled for an MRI today, and McMenamin gave an early expectation of how long he will miss:
Anthony Davis is expected to be sidelined at least two weeks after suffering a right ankle sprain in the first half of the Lakers’ 106-101 win against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, sources told ESPN.
The team is hoping the MRI gives them a more concrete healing timeframe. For now, they do know it’s going to be extended. The Lakers will not play another game for nine days, so that helps his recovery time. It’s still going to be tough to right their ship. Every game down the stretch is a must-win. If they can muster the same spirit that they had against the Jazz, it could make a possible recovery for AD to be much more digestible. Regardless, they’ll need him back as soon as possible to meet this season’s expectations.
