Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis showcased one of his best defensive plays of the season Sunday night in the National Basketball Association (NBA), delivering a massive block on Toronto Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl. However, the impressive rejection came with a cost, as Davis suffered an eye injury in the process, forcing him to exit the game midway through the fourth quarter.
Eye injury forces Davis out of the game
In a high-energy sequence at Crypto.com Arena, Davis made a sensational block at the rim, denying Poeltl’s attempt. Unfortunately, during the play, Poeltl inadvertently collided with Davis’ face, causing a painful blow to his eye. Davis immediately hit the court, visibly in discomfort, and crawled off the floor as play continued. He remained down for several moments before being helped to the locker room.
The Lakers later confirmed that Davis was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to the eye injury. He had contributed 22 points and 4 rebounds before the injury, continuing his strong season performance.
A familiar injury for Davis
The specifics of the injury remain unclear, but the eye injury is concerning given Davis’ history with eye issues. In March of the previous season, Davis sustained a corneal abrasion to the same eye. He was able to return to action two days later but re-aggravated the injury about a month later, which left his eyelid briefly swollen shut.
The latest incident has raised concerns, but the extent of the injury is still to be determined.
Lakers overcome Davis’ injury for victory
Despite losing Davis, the Lakers were able to rally in the second half, defeating the Raptors 123-103. LeBron James starred in the win, recording a triple-double with 19 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds.
It was the third triple-double of the season for the veteran forward, continuing his strong play. Austin Reaves contributed 27 points, and D'Angelo Russell chipped in 15 points off the bench.
Raptors struggling early in the season
The Raptors, now sitting at 2-9, struggled throughout the game, unable to keep pace with the Lakers’ offensive firepower. RJ Barrett led Toronto with 18 points and 7 rebounds, while Chris Boucher added 18 points off the bench. However, the Raptors have yet to secure a road win this season, and their struggles continued in this matchup.
Lakers look ahead to Memphis
With the win, the Lakers have now secured two consecutive victories after their 10-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. With a 6-4 record, the Lakers will now prepare to host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, hoping to build on their recent momentum and continue their climb in the Western Conference standings.
