Anthony Davis, the heavy favorite to win the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, is poised to have his best season so far. However, 7 games into the 2023-2024 season, the 30-year-old superstar suffered an injury, putting Lakers fans in shambles.
Davis was forced to exit the Lakers-Heat game on Monday after an apparent groin injury
With just about two minutes left in the first half, AD tried to score on Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo. In an attempt to make a play, Davis seemingly bumped his hip against Adebayo. Shortly afterward, Anthony Davis would be seen slightly limping and seemed to be in pain. The All-Star big man stayed for a while on the court but quickly went to the locker room during the halftime break.
NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Davis suffered hip/groin spasms on that play. Despite fans fearing for AD’s health, he still returned in the third quarter only lasting a few minutes before returning to the locker room after apparently feeling uneasy. Davis was forced to leave the game early and only played for 25 minutes. He finished with 9 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds.
The Lakers were pushing strong for a win but unfortunately came up short against the Miami Heat. Jimmy Butler put up 28 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds while Bam Adebayo had a historic night after he stuffs the stat sheet with a 22-10-20 output. Miami beats Los Angeles by just 1 point, 108-107. LeBron James carried most of the load after Davis’ injury by getting 30 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves almost had a triple-double game with 23 points, 9 dimes, and 10 boards.
Thankfully, Anthony Davis’ groin injury isn’t that serious and he’s optimistic he will return to the hardwood very soon
After the game, Davis was asked what he was dealing with and how he was feeling. AD said that “he’ll be fine,” and that he will play on the next game.
“I’ll be ready to go Wednesday, but I need to calm down and get some treatment and get ready to go on Wednesday.”
The Lakers will go up against the 8th-seed Houston Rockets spearheaded by Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Alperen Sengun, and Jalen Green. These two Western Conference teams will meet on Wednesday, November 8 (@ 9 p.m.) in the Toyota Center, Houston, Texas.