The Los Angeles Lakers will be without half of their All-Star duo during Game 5 of their first round tilt against the Phoenix Suns. According to a report by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Anthony Davis will not be healthy enough to take the floor on Tuesday night, a major blow to a Lakers’ team caught in a serious battle with the 2-seed in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis (groin) expected to be held out of Game 5 tonight against the Phoenix Suns, league sources tell @YahooSports, @NBAonTNT.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 2, 2021
Davis entered Game 4 of the series with a sprained knee, which he was able to play through. It looked like he aggravated this injury late in the second quarter as he contested a Jae Crowder attempt at the rim, which caused him to walk with a serious limp. Instead Davis suffered a groin strain, and while he missed the remainder of the game — Phoenix went on to win, 100-92 — he was listed as day-to-day moving forward.
Still, it was believed that Davis was unlikely to take the floor on Tuesday evening, something that eventually came to fruition. The good news for the Lakers is they still have LeBron James, who is quite good at winning playoff games. Still, the Suns are a tough team, and one that can very much punish a shorthanded Los Angeles squad.