In a season ravaged by injuries, the Los Angeles Lakers road to the 2021 NBA Finals just became even more difficult.
After falling to the Phoenix Suns (100-92) on Sunday night, leaving the series tied at 2-2, the Lakers announced that Anthony Davis is questionable to play in Game 5 on Tuesday.
Davis sustained a groin injury in the final minute of the second quarter of Sunday’s game. His exit was the clear turning point in the contest; in the second half, the Lakers only mustered 42 points and fell behind by as much as 18 in the fourth quarter.
Davis’ season has been plagued with injuries, with the Lakers star missing over 30 games in the shortened season due to a calf strain and Achilles tendonitis he sustained against the Nuggets in February.
Davis’ impact on the Lakers’ chances of winning cannot be understated: They were 23-13 with the big man in the starting lineup, and 19-17 without him.
According to ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski, those in the know believe Davis’s chances of playing in Game 5 are not high.
“I’m not hearing great optimism about the possibility of Anthony Davis playing in Game 5,” Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter. “He has not been ruled out — he’s going to see how he feels [Monday] into [Tuesday], but this is an injury that might take you at least a week to fully recover from.”
The Lakers and Suns game begins at 10:00 pm EST. Davis’ availability will likely be the deciding factor as to which team takes a commanding lead in the series.
