Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has exacerbated tendinosis in his Judge Achilles, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and was held out of the second half of Sunday’s 122-105 defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
Davis missed two games with the injury earlier this week. The Lakers officially called it a real Achilles’ strain and said Davis would undergo an MRI on Monday.
Davis, 27, was listed as questionable before the game, but started nonetheless, while the Lakers wanted to extend their seven-game winning streak.
Davis rode on Nikola Jokic late in the second quarter and bumped legs with the Nuggets center – Jokic’s right knee made contact with Davis’ right wheel. The offense was called, and when Davis gathered his dribble and planted his foot, it appeared he was aggravating his lower leg. He holds his leg under his calf after the play is whistled dead.
Davis stayed in the game to take two free throws, both of which made it, and then stayed with 2:36 left in the second quarter and limped to the locker room with Jon Ishop, the Lakers athletic coach, by his side.
The nine-year veteran experienced discomfort in his lower leg for weeks and underwent an ultrasound that confirmed the injury.
Before returning to play in the 115-105 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday in which he scored 35 points on 16-for-27 shooting – two of his season highlights in the points ladder – Davis began his thought process on the injury with reporters outlined.
“I think every other game … I wanted to play in it. It’s just a different circumstance because it’s an Achilles,” Davis said Thursday. ‘If it was a four-wheeler or a finger, I would not mind playing. But I just do not really want to play with an Achilles. ‘
Davis played 35 minutes against the Grizzlies, but put out the final push with the win in hand after getting hurt.
“It can go away, of course with rest and stuff like that, but I’m not trying to rest, so try to keep it as loose as possible,” Davis said Friday.
Davis said his Achilles tendon was not compromised, but the tissue around the tendon bothered him.
“The doctors and the training staff feel comfortable enough for me to go and perform there,” he said. “It’s something that keeps improving, by treating it all day and throughout the night, and wearing things in my shoes to help ease the pain level and to wear the tire and all these things to make it feel better during the walk. of time, and basically I’m a lot – I can just go play there and not worry about it. ‘
Davis scored 15 points in 14 minutes with four rebounds and an assist before leaving Sunday’s game.
Kyle Kuzma started the second half in Davis’ place.