Chris Haynes provides a postgame update on Anthony Davis, who left Game 5 with a head injury.
Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis injured his head in what appeared to be an inadvertent hit by Golden State’s Kevon Looney midway through the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 121-106 Game 5 victory in the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.
TNT’s Chris Haynes reported Thursday that Davis is expected to be ready to play for Game 6 on Friday night (10 ET, ESPN). Davis grabbed at his head grimacing on the bench before going to the locker room following the play with 7:43 remaining. He and Looney were battling for positioning in the paint on a driving layup by the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell.
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis (head injury) is expected to be available for Game 6 on Friday barring a setback, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 11, 2023
Lakers coach Darvin Ham was encouraged after Game 5 about Davis, but refrained from providing details on what evaluation — such as concussion testing — the big man went through once in the locker room.
Hayes reported Davis required a wheelchair to go to the locker room but appears to have avoided a concussion. Additionally, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Davis was able to leave the arena after the game without any assistance.
It appears that Anthony Davis has avoided a concussion, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/MG6d7YROdh
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 11, 2023
“Obviously, everyone saw he took a shot to the head, but we just checked in on him, he seems to be doing really good already,” Ham said. “That’s just where he’s at. That’s the status of it right now.”
The Lakers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Davis finished with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists but didn’t block a shot.
Teammate Austin Reaves reported Davis doing “better” as an encouraging sign, but that Los Angeles would be ready with or without him.
“Obviously, AD is huge to what we do. I believe he’ll play, but if that’s not the case, we’re still a group of NBA basketball players that have played games without him this year,” Reaves said. “You never want to play a big game without a guy like that. But that’s the nature of the game.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
