Is Anthony Davis playing tonight against Denver Nuggets? Looking at Lakers center's status for Game 3 (April 25)

LA Lakers standout Anthony Davis is listed as available for Game 3 of the Western Conference’s Round 1 matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The LA Lakers face a crucial task of swiftly moving past their game two defeat. Despite seeming poised to clinch a pivotal victory, they faltered in the fourth quarter, leaving no room for error for the remainder of the series. Despite shooting a commendable 42.0% from three-point range on Monday, the Lakers once again found themselves out-rebounded by the Nuggets on Tuesday.

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This loss marks their 10th consecutive defeat against Denver, extending back to the previous season. Notably, the Lakers have managed to cover the spread in three of their last five matchups.

The Lakers asserted their dominance early on, delivering a formidable performance in the first half, setting the tone from the opening tipoff. With a commanding 15-point lead at halftime, they maintained a solid advantage of 10 points heading into the fourth quarter.

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However, the Nuggets mounted a resilient comeback, outscoring the Lakers by 12 points in the final period. Despite Anthony Davis leading the Lakers' offensive charge with an impressive 32-point performance on 14 of 19 shooting from the field, his offensive output dwindled in the fourth quarter, as he attempted just one shot and failed to register any points.

What happened to Anthony Davis?

Anthony Davis, who logged a personal season-high 52 minutes of play during the double-overtime triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks, reportedly strained his left knee after hyperextending it.

In the early stages of the fourth quarter, Davis was sidelined as the Lakers' medical staff assessed his knee. Initially labeled as questionable for the subsequent back-to-back game, the nine-time All-Star underwent further evaluation and was subsequently ruled out of the matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Notably, in the first meeting between the Bucks and the Lakers, Davis sustained a shoulder injury. During the latter half of the game, while Giannis Antetokounmpo made a drive to the basket, Davis endeavored to draw a charge but encountered an elbow to the shoulder from the formidable 6-foot-11, 240-pound "Greek Freak."

In the closing moments of the fourth quarter against the Pelicans in the Play-in game, the Lakers forward was seen grasping his lower back after a shove from forward Larry Nance Jr.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin later revealed that Davis had experienced some discomfort in his back during the game. Subsequently, he was substituted out of the game, although by then, the Lakers had already secured a significant lead.

During the Apr. 7 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Davis suffered an eye injury. Following the incident, he left the court for evaluation in the locker room and was promptly ruled out. The injury occurred when Davis appeared to receive a blow near his left eye, an area already affected by bruising from a previous incident, according to Dave McMenamin's report.