Anthony Davis has ‘no doubt’ he’ll play against Pelicans in play-in game
The Lakers had a bit of a scare late in their blowout win over the Pelicans, but it sounds like Anthony Davis will be available for Tuesday’s game in New Orleans.
Almost everything went the Lakers way on Sunday as they thoroughly dominated the Pelicans en route to a comfortable 124-108 win, securing the eighth seed and a rematch in New Orleans on Tuesday.
It wasn’t a perfect day, however, as Anthony Davis gingerly walked off the court in the final minutes. AD was holding his lower back and attempted to stretch it out at the scorer’s table before slowly walking to the locker room as the Lakers closed out their win.
Fortunately, it appears there is nothing to worry about.
Postgame, AD said his back locked up after a shove on a rebound attempt but was adamant he would be available on Tuesday.
“No doubt that I’m going to play” he says of Tuesday. https://t.co/YpUzEaTGG5
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) April 14, 2024
Similarly, head coach Darvin Ham spoke postgame and called it back spasms, something initially reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN before the final whistle.
Darvin Ham says that Anthony Davis was dealing with a spasm, calling it “nothing major.” He added he was “extremely optimistic” about Davis moving forward with Tuesday’s play-in game looming.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 14, 2024
The initial belief is Anthony Davis experienced hip and back spasms after being pushed in the air by Larry Nance Jr. and landing awkwardly, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 14, 2024
All things considered, it’s about as best-case scenario as the situation could be. The concerning part, though, is that the spasms can come back at any point. Earlier in the season, it was the hip spasms and adductor injury that would flare up and cause issues for Davis.
While that has, fortunately, not been a factor, spasms are always a worry because of their unpredictable nature. That he was so adamant he would be available is encouraging, though.
With the playoffs here, the Lakers season completely hinges on AD and his availability. Without him, the Lakers are effectively hopeless. The 2021 playoffs are the shining example of how quickly things can change depending on AD.
Some arguments may exist as to whether the Lakers should try to avoid the Nuggets and lose the first play-in game on Tuesday, but the added benefit of winning that game is multiple extra days of rest for LeBron and AD heading into the playoffs.
That’s further down the road, though. In the near future, AD sounds like he has no worries about being healthy and, if that’s the case, the Lakers can walk into Tuesday’s game with a whole lot of confidence against the Pelicans.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.