A new report indicates that Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis will undergo additional concussion tests on Thursday.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst offered the information during a Thursday morning appearance on the network’s “Get Up” program and noted that no two situations are alike.
.@WindhorstESPN has the latest on Anthony Davis' injury: pic.twitter.com/e1Z0odv0MD
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 11, 2023
“Anthony Davis and whether he can avoid the concussion protocol is the most important thing going in the NBA right now,” Windhorst said.
“And it’s not something that would have been decided last night. He will be continued to be evaluated today to see if he develops symptoms. I will tell you that having covered situations like this for the last 10 or 15 years, every concussion situation is different. None are the same.
“You cannot make assumptions. If you make assumptions, you’ll end up looking wrong. Other thing is that it’s not necessarily the way he feels. There’s a series of tests they put him through that they compare him to tests that he had when he was not concussed to see how he’s reacting.”
Davis sustained the injury during the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ Game 5 loss to the Golden State Warriors. An inadvertent elbow by Warriors center Kevon Looney was the cause of the injury with 7:43 left in the game, which was won by the Warriors 121-106.
Anthony Davis got poked in the eye by Kevon Looney, he is on the bench now pic.twitter.com/TmPNbjaF4D
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) May 11, 2023
Early reports offered hope that Davis would avoid having to enter concussion protocol, with Lakers coach Darvin Ham issuing a positive update after the game.
In addition, TNT’s Chris Haynes indicated that while Davis required a wheelchair for further evaluation, he didn’t appear to have a concussion. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin later showed that Davis needed no assistance to leave Chase Center.
BREAKING: Early tests indicate that Anthony Davis has avoided a concussion, per @ChrisBHaynes.
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) May 11, 2023
Anthony Davis walking out of the arena after Game 5
(via @mcten)pic.twitter.com/AdaERc92xJ
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) May 11, 2023
Having Davis back in the lineup is vital to the Lakers’ hopes of advancing to the Western Conference Finals. While the Lakers came up short on Wednesday night, the team stands just one win away from achieving that goal.
In the Lakers’ three wins in their series against the Warriors, Davis’ efforts have been integral to victory. In the opening contest on May 2, Davis delivered a huge game by scoring 30 points and grabbing 23 rebounds.
When the series returned to Los Angeles, Davis again put up double-double efforts to help the Lakers take a commanding 3-1 advantage in the series. Prior to leaving Wednesday’s game, Davis was on the verge of another double-double, scoring 23 points and collecting nine rebounds.
Davis’ struggles to stay healthy are a chief reason why the Lakers have been inconsistent for the past few years. Those struggles have led to some criticism. In Davis’ first season with the Lakers, he and LeBron James were the central components of the team’s drive to an NBA title.
That success continued until February 2021, when Davis went out for an extended period because of injury. His absence was one reason why the Lakers were unable to defend their title in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Last season, Davis was again plagued with injuries, with the end result being that the Lakers failed to even compete in the postseason.
Lakers fans, coaches, players and Davis will undoubtedly be crossing their fingers until a final determination can be made. A positive result could mean that the Lakers’ title quest will be enhanced.
