Lakers' Anthony Davis doesn't regret playing in Game 6, admits he was limited: 'I couldn't move to my right'

Davis played only five minutes in Game 6

Anthony Davis did everything in his power to try to save the Los Angeles Lakers' season on Thursday. Despite suffering a hyperextended knee in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns and a strained groin in Game 4, he suited up for Game 6 in a doomed attempt to preserve his team's title defense. 

It ended badly. Davis left the game after only around five minutes on the floor. He did not suffer another, new injury, but he fell to the floor in serious pain in the first quarter and was simply unable to continue. That he even made it that long was surprising given how limited he looked physically while in the game. As he told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes after the game, he simply didn't have his complete range of motion.

"I couldn't move to my right," Davis said. "That's why I reacted that way [in the first quarter] when [Devin] Booker drove left and I had to slide to my right. That s*** hurt. There was nothing I could do, but I just wanted to be out there for my team so bad."

Many have argued that Davis shouldn't have played at all considering his injury. The Lakers signed him to a five-year contract last offseason, and fans are justifiably skittish about bringing injured stars back prematurely after what happened to Kevin Durant in the 2019 NBA Finals. But it was Davis' decision to play, and it's one he would make it again.

"Me going out there didn't have anything to do with me trying to be tough; I felt I owed it to my team to try to be out there with them," Davis said. "I knew the only way I was going to be healthy enough to play was to get some rest, but time wasn't on my side. So, I tried to give it a go. I don't regret anything. I'll be fine. Our team will be fine. I like our chances when healthy."

On a relative basis, Davis will have plenty of time to recover. After the Lakers won the championship last season, they had only 71 days off before the 2020-21 season began. Now, they'll have a more typical offseason. Next season won't begin until the middle of October, so both Davis and LeBron James will have plenty of time to rest up and return at full strength.