Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis’ status is up in the air for the team’s game against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“Davis’ vision was impaired and his eye was swollen shut after the contact, a source familiar with the injury told ESPN,” McMenamin wrote. “He will be monitored overnight and Sunday to determine his availability Monday against the Atlanta Hawks.”
Davis played just 11:57 in the Lakers’ loss to the Golden State Warriors after he was hit in the eye by Warriors rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The Lakers star finished the game with eight points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block despite the limited playing time. Had Davis not gotten injured, the Lakers may have been able to beat the Warriors on Saturday.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell admitted that the team is not used to playing without the All-Star big man.
“We’re not accustomed to playing without [Davis],” Russell said. “He’s played almost every game this year, right? So that’s something that is unfamiliar for us. But it’s no excuse. Jaxson [Hayes] played his ass off. Everybody else that came in stepped up to the plate. But that’s a tough team, well-coached team. So it’s not going to be easy.”
This season, Davis has been extremely durable for the Lakers, missing just four games. He’s played at a high level averaging 24.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
The Lakers are just 1-3 in the four games that Davis has missed, losing to the Houston Rockets (Nov. 8), San Antonio Spurs (Dec. 15) and Hawks (Jan. 30). The team did beat the Boston Celtics without Davis on Feb. 1.
If Davis can’t go on Monday against Atlanta, Hayes will likely have a more prominent role for the Lakers. Against Golden State, Hayes played 28:02 and finished with seven points (3-for-5 from the field) and 12 rebounds.
Even though Hayes had a solid rebounding game, he’s simply not the offensive threat that Davis is for Los Angeles. This season, Hayes – a former lottery pick – is averaging 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 69.9 percent from the field.
The Lakers and Hawks are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. PST on Monday from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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