NEW ORLEANS — Los Angeles Lakers star big man Anthony Davis will be ruled out of Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets, according to coach Darvin Ham, after a huge performance in Tuesday’s 123-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
“He’s not going to play,” Ham said as Davis put up 35 points and 17 rebounds against his former team. “He has not been cleared. Even though he is playing without pain, we made an organizational decision, starting with our team doctors, to keep him out of back-to-back games.”
Davis was reevaluated by the Lakers medical personnel about two weeks ago after sitting out the second night of back-to-back games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sources told ESPN that his right foot, which caused him to miss the first 20 games in the season due to a stress reaction and a broken bone, did not show significant healing. The doctors stuck to the same recommendation that Davis not be shocked by overexposure by participating in back-to-back games.
“It’s one of those things where even if he’s playing without pain, it’s still an active injury,” Hamm said. “So we have to monitor it and stick to the plan, like we’ve always done. And just go out there with our other guys and try to get the W’s and finish the trip the right way.”
With the Lakers up 75–40 at the half Tuesday, Hamm said he considered resting Davis to try to save him for Wednesday, but Davis ended up needing to play 17 minutes in the second half as New Orleans completely cut the cushion. Up 13 in the fourth quarter.
“It was definitely a thought, but obviously, it’s a hell of a ballclub over there that has a lot of pride and they made their push,” Hamm said. “So putting him back in the game obliterated any delusions of grandeur.”
Davis played a key role in the win, scoring LA’s first six points and sparking the Lakers’ attack, which outscored New Orleans by 40 points. It was his ninth game with more than 30 points and more than 15 rebounds this season, surpassing Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks for most such games in the NBA.
And the win gave LA a 3-1 lead in the season series with New Orleans, which could prove crucial in playing out a tiebreaker scenario for seedings after the season.
But, even with a win on Tuesday, the Lakers actually going from No. 9 to No. 10 in the Western Conference because Oklahoma City beat the Brooklyn Nets, there’s no breathing room.
Especially considering that Houston beat the Boston Celtics, owners of the second-best record in the league, 111-109 on Monday.
“I mean, it’s tough,” Davis said. “Especially because every game, obviously, you want to go out and play. But before I came back, it’s something that the doctors and the organization discussed that they thought for me not to play back-to-back.” Will be the best. . It’s still a stress response. And we’re doing all the right things to make sure I’m ready to go and I still need that break for the day. Obviously it sucks “
Malik Beasley, who broke a 3-of-5-23 slump in his last four games to explode for 24 points while shooting 7-of-12 from deep against the Pelicans, said Davis’ absence was a factor in L.A.’s performance against the Rockets. Attention should be reduced. ,
“It’s difficult to get those games up against those who are in the bottom half of the standings, but we know that this game [against New Orleans] Doesn’t matter as long as we win tomorrow,” Beasley said of Houston (16-52). “I think the message is going out and we can’t let that deter them. We can’t get bored of success.”
The last time Davis sat out, the Lakers beat the Thunder on the road. And that was without D’Angelo Russell.
All they have to do is do it again, in Houston.
“A lot of teams that didn’t win all season try to make up for that at the end of the year,” said Russell, who scored 17 points against the Pelicans. “You come in there with the wrong mindset, they will take advantage of it. So just trying to have the right business approach going into the game is something I can control, and then we’ll get into the game and the opportunities that exist.” itself when the game begins.”
