The Los Angeles Lakers saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back, falling 118-104 to a Philadelphia 76ers squad missing Joel Embiid. The loss dropped L.A. to 26-19 on the season.
The biggest storyline from the game was the early exit of Anthony Davis, who left late in the first quarter with what was later diagnosed as an abdominal muscle strain. The nine-time All-Star was unable to return, finishing with just four points, two rebounds, and a steal in under 10 minutes of action.
After the game, LeBron James admitted he didn’t initially realize Davis had suffered an injury.
“When our best player goes out, it’s always challenging, especially in the game,” James said. “If he’s out from the beginning, then we have a game plan set. We know what to expect. We know how our lives are going to be.
“… I didn’t even realize until the second quarter (that he was injured) when he didn’t come back in his regular minutes. I looked over at the bench, and he wasn’t over there. I found out (about the injury) at halftime.”
Despite Davis’ early exit, James downplayed concerns about the severity of the injury.
“But level of concern, I think he’ll be fine,” James stated.
Still, the fact that Davis couldn’t return raises some concerns about his availability moving forward. The five-time All-NBA big man is expected to undergo further evaluation on Wednesday, as the Lakers prepare for the fourth game of their six-game road trip on Thursday against the Washington Wizards.