Last Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers put on a clinical display against the New Orleans Pelicans and beat them 139-122 to improve to two games above the .500 mark. All five Lakers starters scored 20 or more points. D’Angelo Russell led the way with 30 points, Austin Reaves dropped 27, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura recorded 21 points each. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis scored 20.
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LA will look to have another dominant outing against the 8-44 Detroit Pistons on Tuesday at home, but they could have to do it without Davis. The nine-time All-Star’s status for the game at Crpto.com Arena has been listed as ‘questionable’, as per the Lakers’ February 13 report. The veteran forward is suffering from bilateral Achilles tendinopathy and hip spasms. Neither ailment is severe and can be cured with rest.
The game against Detroit is the Lakers’ penultimate game before the All-Star break. They will take on the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on Wednesday before Davis and James head to Indiana for the All-Star weekend. Given his injuries and the game against the Pistons being the first of a back-to-back, the Lakers could hand Davis a night off. They shouldn’t face any issues beating Detroit but will need their superstar center against the in-form Jazz team on the road. Fans can expect Davis to sit out against the Pistons on Tuesday night.
Anthony Davis’ return to All-Star form
Anthony Davis is enjoying an outstanding campaign. The Lakers superstar is averaging 24.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks this season. More surprisingly, he has missed only four games this year and is trending towards playing more than 70 regular season games for the first time as a Laker. His excellent form and fitness earned him his ninth career All-Star nod after a three-year absence.
Despite Davis’ unprecedented availability, the Lakers have struggled this season. They are 28-26 and currently sit ninth in the Western Conference standings. They are 1-3 without Davis, showcasing how critical his presence is on both ends of the court. Among centers averaging at least 35 minutes per game, his defensive rating of 115.6 ranks second in the league.
The Lakers’ fortunes are dependent on Davis’ fitness. If he can continue staying healthy and play over 70 games this season, the team can sneak into the playoffs and potentially do some damage as a lower seed. They reached the Western Conference Finals last year as the seventh seed. They can emulate that as long as LeBron James and Davis carry the load and D’Angelo Russell continues to perform at the same level that he has been over the past three weeks.
The Lakers may be only two games above the .500 mark, but no team would want to face them in the playoffs.
