It was a bad day at the office for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, first the team fell 122-105 to the Denver Nuggets, and then they were hit with the bad news that Center Anthony Davis went down with an Achilles injury. The injury occurred near the end of the first half when Davis tried to run up to the basket and re-aggravated his Achilles tendon. An inspired Nuggets side was able to hit the Lakers for 40 points in the second quarter and held on for the victory. The loss snapped a seven-game unbeaten streak for the Lakers and the champions lost for only the seventh time this season. Four-time NBA champion LeBron James showed concern for this teammate, but tried to keep things positive by stating, "It's always next man up."
The Los Angeles Lakers sit second in the Western Conference with a 21-7 record, competition for first place has been fierce all season long as the Utah Jazz sit first, and the Los Angeles Clippers are third in the West.
LeBron James, in a post-match press conference emphasized how much Anthony Davis will be missed, but the Lakers will try to hold down the fort. “Just overall safety and (his) health. That’s my only concern … want him to get back to himself. We will have an ability to be able to prepare for it … we’ll have a better game plan for what we need to do offensively and defensively in his absence." James said.
Did the Lakers properly handle Anthony Davis' injury?
Anthony Davis is set to undergo an MRI Monday, to many pundits it was surprising to see Davis in the lineup at all given the climate conditions of Denver and Minnesota and the high altitude. Nonetheless Davis was cleared by the Lakers medical staff to play in the road trip.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel did not toss any blame to the medical staff stating, “We’re not gonna put him out there if he’s at risk. If the medical team clears him to play, he plays.” Details on how long Davis will be out will come after the MRI on Monday.
