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Anthony Davis was spectacular in leading the LA Lakers to a resounding 123-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, putting up 35 points and 17 rebounds. The superstar big man, however, will not be available tomorrow night versus the Houston Rockets.
Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin:
"Anthony Davis will not play tomorrow in Houston, according to Darvin Ham. There was an organizational decision to keep him out of back-to-backs, even though Ham stressed that Davis remains pain free playing on the foot that kept him out of 20 games earlier this season."
The Lakers have designated Davis probable since returning from a 5 1/2 week absence following a right foot stress injury. LA's strategy to manage his load has forced him to sit out in selected games.
Davis suffered the said injury last Dec. 16 versus the Denver Nuggets. He played just 17 minutes and did not return in the second half. AD then missed the Lakers' next 20 games before returning on Jan. 25 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Anthony Davis has missed just two games since: one against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 30 and the other versus the OKC Thunder on Mar. 1.
The Lakers emerged victorious in Oklahoma in the second game of a back-to-back, making the move a master stroke. They're betting on getting the same result against the lowly Rockets.
LA's decision to sideline the eight-time All-Star could also backfire on the Lakers. The Rockets, who own the second-worst record in the NBA, just stunned the Boston Celtics a few days ago.
Following tonight's win against the New Orleans Pelicans, Darvin Ham's squad now sit solo in ninth place with a 34-35 record. They have the same win-loss slate as the Dallas Mavericks, but the Texas-based team is sitting ahead of them because of a superior tiebreak.
A loss to the Rockets will drop them back lower in the standings and complicate the Lakers' playoff aspirations even more.
The LA Lakers need Anthony Davis healthy
The LA Lakers are firmly in contention for at least a play-in spot. However, they would prefer to have a healthy Anthony Davis when that tournament or the postseason starts.
Here's what Davis had to say about the Laker's need not to aggravate his injury:
"It's tough. ... But before I even came back, the doctors and the organization discussed that it will be best for me not to play back-to-backs 'cause of the foot, even though I'm not feeling pain.
"We're doing all the right things to make sure I'm ready to go. ... You want to go out and play but at the end of the day with an injury like that, you don’t want it to go to the other side.”
If AD doesn't get the clearance to play back-to-back games before the season ends, he will have to sit out in early April. The Lakers will face the Utah Jazz on Apr. 4 and then the LA Clippers the following day.
It will be tough for the Lakers to keep Anthony Davis sidelined as those two games will be crucial to their playoff hopes.
You may also like to read: Anthony Davis asserts LeBron James return doesn’t imply a lesser role for him: “Nothing changes for me when he comes back”
