Late in the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 4 tilt against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday afternoon, star forward Anthony Davis appeared to seriously aggravate the left knee injury that he suffered in the previous game. After getting into the locker room and undergoing an evaluation, though, the team announced that Davis actually suffered a groin strain that would rule him out for the remainder of the contest.
Lakers’ Anthony Davis is out for remainder of Game 4 vs. Suns due to left groin strain.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 30, 2021
Davis entered the game listed as questionable due to a sprained left knee, but made clear there was “no chance” he would miss Game 4. He struggled during the first half, scoring six points on 2-for-9 shooting with four rebounds and three assists, but did not look like he was dealing with anything particularly troublesome.
And then, late in the second quarter, Davis went up for a layup against the Suns’ defense. He was unable to finish through a challenge by Jae Crowder, he landed awkwardly on his left leg, and he was visibly in pain as he made his way off of the floor for the half.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 30, 2021
Davis did not emerge from the locker room after halftime, with Kyle Kuzma taking his place in the Lakers’ lineup. Los Angeles already entered the game shorthanded, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was ruled out prior to the tip due to a knee contusion.