Anthony Davis was having a very strong start to the 2023 NBA postseason when the Los Angeles Lakers battled the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. He started the game with 10 points, five blocks two steals and six rebounds as the Lakers led for most of the first two quarters.
However, the Lakers got a serious scare late in the second quarter when Davis, attempting to grab an offensive rebound off of an Austin Reaves miss, collided with Jaren Jackson Jr. and immediately grabbed his arm. He quickly asked for a sub, and seemingly said "I can't move my arm" as he exited the game. He went to the locker room with a bit more than one minute left in the second quarter, and the Lakers trailed 65-59 at halftime and was evaluated for a stinger. Fortunately, he will be available to return in the second half.
Anthony Davis appeared to say "I can't move my arm" before heading to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/GebfM5S1dv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 16, 2023
Notably, the Lakers have not used a backup center in this game. Rather than going with Mo Bamba or Wenyen Gabriel, their typical backup big men, they have relied on LeBron James and Rui Hachimura with Davis off of the floor. Jackson dominated the two of them and led all scorers with 19 points in the first half, so if Davis had needed to miss the rest of the game, the Lakers would've been in serious jeopardy.
Injury scares are nothing new for Davis, and his availability in the second half is a major relief for the Lakers. LeBron James is already playing injured, and the theory of this Lakers team relies on having two available superstars. Without Davis, their championship hopes would have effectively ended. Instead, they will move forward with their two best players on the court.
