Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis worsened tendinosis in his right Achilles, a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and was kept from the second half of Sunday’s loss of 122-105 against the Denver Nuggets.
Davis missed two games with the injury earlier this week. The Lakers officially called it a proper Achilles strain and said Davis will undergo an MRI on Monday.
27-year-old Davis was considered questionable before the game, but started nonetheless, with the Lakers looking to extend their seven-game winning streak.
Davis rode Nikola Jokic late in the second quarter, hitting his legs with the Nuggets center – Jokic’s right knee made contact with Davis’s right quad. The foul was called, and when Davis gathered his dribble and planted his foot, he appeared to aggravate his right lower leg. He clutched his leg under his calf after the piece was whistled to death.
Davis stayed in the game to take two free throws, both, then checked with 2:36 left in the second quarter and limped to the locker room with Lakers assistant athletic trainer Jon Ishop by his side.
The nine-year veteran has been experiencing discomfort in his right lower leg for weeks and had an ultrasound last weekend, which confirmed the injury.
Before returning to play in Friday’s 115-105 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, in which he scored 35 points on 16-for-27 shots – two of his season scoring highlights – Davis shared his thought process about the injury with reporters. .
“I think every other game … I wanted to play. This is just another circumstance with an Achilles,” Davis said on Thursday. “If it was a quad or a finger like that, I wouldn’t mind playing. But I just don’t really want to play with an Achilles.”
Davis played 35 minutes against the Grizzlies, but finished the final stretch with victory in hand after experiencing pain.
“It could go away, with rest and things like that, of course, but I’m trying not to rest, so just try to keep it as loose as possible,” Davis said Friday.
Davis said his Achilles tendon was not affected, but the tissue around the tendon was bothering him.
“The doctors and training staff feel comfortable enough to go out and perform,” he said. “ It’s something that will keep getting better, constantly all day long, giving it treatment all night and carrying stuff in my shoes to relieve the pain and wearing tape and all these things to make it feel better during the course of time, and actually I’m very – I can just go out and play without worrying 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 place of Davis.