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Anthony Davis will miss Wednesday's game between the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets. It's the second night of a back-to-back set for the Lakers. Davis isn't cleared to play on consecutive nights due to a stress fracture in his right foot which saw him miss 20 games in December and January.
AD said it's tough to miss games as he wants to be on the court, but he also asserted that it's still an active injury, making it ideal for him to sit out for one of the back-to-backs. Here's what Davis told reporters after dropping 35 and 17 in a 123-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday (via Southern California News Group's Kyle Goon):
"It's tough. Especially with the position we are in, obviously, you want to go out and play, but before I even came back, it's something the doctors and organization discussed that it will be best for me not to play back-to-backs.
"Even though I'm not feeling the pain and everything, it's still an active injury... We're doing all the right things to make sure that I am ready to go... At the end of the day with an injury like that, you don’t want it to go to the other side.”
The LA Lakers are being cautious with Anthony Davis as he has endured three consecutive injury-riddled years. AD remains a decisive player for the team, and his absence has cost the team plenty over the past couple of years.
The Lakers also have the luxury of resting him, especially against an underdog team, due to their improved squad depth post the trade deadline. LA has scripted wins in the absence of both LeBron and Davis since then and on nights when their two superstars haven't been at their best.
LA Lakers should be able to win in Anthony Davis' absence against the lowly-Rockets
The LA Lakers are about to face the worst team in the league without Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The Houston Rockets, who boast a 16-52 record this season, were among the first teams to be knocked out of playoff contention.
The Lakers needed LeBron and AD against teams like the Rockets earlier in the season, but that isn't the case anymore. They added players like D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Rui Hachimura before and at the trade deadline, who have significantly improved the team.
The Lakers have the size and shooting they desperately needed to be efficient on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, the likes of Austin Reaves, Dennis Schroder and Troy Brown Jr. have also played out of their skins, giving the Lakers a solid shot at winning games without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
D'Angelo Russell is in top form and will be the Lakers' go-to option against the Rockets on Wednesday.
