Lakers' Anthony Davis could miss NBA restart opener due to eye injury
Two days before the Los Angeles Lakers officially open the NBA restart at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex bubble site against the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Clippers, the Western Conference leaders aren't sure their Defensive Player of the Year candidate will be in the lineup.
As ESPN's Dave McMenamin wrote on Tuesday, superstar Anthony Davis remains sidelined after he suffered an unintentional eye poke during Saturday's scrimmage against the Orlando Magic. Davis, seen wearing shaded eyewear, did not practice with Lakers teammates on Tuesday.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel spoke with reporters about Davis' condition via a videoconference:
"He's day-to-day and while he's still dealing with discomfort, there is some concern that he could potentially not play Thursday. But we're hopeful that he does, and we'll see how that plays out. He's going to continue to be evaluated each day."
The Lakers will update Davis' availability on Wednesday.
LeBron James, Davis and the Lakers entered the bubble atop the Western Conference standings at 49-14 and 5.5 games ahead of the Clippers for the conference's top playoff berth. The Lakers shutting Davis down for seven to 10 days wouldn't be a nightmare scenario, even if it meant Los Angeles dropping contests to the Clippers, Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz.
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