Anthony Davis Reportedly Plans to Return from Foot Injury for Lakers vs. Pelicans
Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis is expected to return for Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
The 29-year-old has been out since Feb. 16 after suffering a foot sprain in the Lakers' 106-101 home win over the Utah Jazz. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported March 24 he could return in the first week of April, at the earliest.
The foot issue was Davis' second major injury this season. He missed 17 games from Dec. 19 to Jan. 23 with a sprained left MCL.
The time off the court derailed a promising season for Davis. In 37 games, he's put up numbers worthy of another All-NBA selection with averages of 23.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
An eight-time All-Star, Davis is one of the most talented players in the league, but he's struggled to stay on the floor. He's played 70 or more games in a season just twice in his 10-year career. He missed 36 games in 2020-21 because of right calf and heel injuries.
The prolonged absence of Davis has been a major blow for the Lakers, who've also had to deal with injuries to star forward LeBron James throughout the year. At 31-44, Los Angeles is 10th in the Western Conference and faces an uphill battle as the postseason approaches. If the team can make it out of the play-in tournament, it will face one of the top seeds in the West.
Having Davis back for Friday is critical because a matchup with the ninth-place Pelicans could have implications for the play-in.
