The Los Angeles Lakers lost Anthony Davis and a blowout to a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team on Tuesday.
Davis left with an abdominal muscle strain with 2:10 remaining in the first quarter and the Lakers holding a 20-17 lead in Philadelphia. A 76ers team playing without Joel Embiid and Paul George then seized control with a 16-point advantage in the second quarter en route to a 118-104 win.
The loss broke a four-game winning streak for the Lakers that included wins over the Celtics and Warriors. They’ll now play the remaining three games of a five-game road trip with Davis’ status in doubt. The Lakers will play road games against the Wizards, Knicks and Clippers before returning home to host the Warriors on Feb. 6.
How long will Davis be sidelined?
After leaving the game at a timeout, Davis walked to the locker room while clutching his abdomen. He was initially listed by the Lakers as questionable to return with an abdominal strain.
The Lakers then ruled him out for the second half. There was no immediate timeline for Davis’ return to action. How and when he sustained the injury was unclear. Head coach JJ Redick told reporters that there wasn’t an update on Davis’ status after the game.
Lakers flounder after Davis’ exit
The Lakers struggled without Davis on the floor, especially on defense. The 76ers outscored them, 48-32 in the second quarter and took a 73-57 lead into halftime. They extended the advantage to 99-76 by the end of the fourth quarter.
The Lakers cut into their deficit after both teams emptied their benches, but never made the game competitive again.
Davis was limited to four points, two rebounds and one steal in 10 minutes played. He’d entered the game on a hot streak, having averaged 32.8 points, 15 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game during the Lakers’ four-game losing streak.
With Davis out, LeBron James was the singular focal point of the the Lakers offense while tallying 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Rookie Dalton Knecht added 24 points while shooting 5 of 8 from 3. But it made little difference against a shorthanded 76ers unit that thrived against a Lakers team playing without its best defender.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers onslaught with 43 points while shooting 15 of 26 from the field and hitting all nine of his free throws. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Ricky Council tallied 14 points and seven rebounds from the bench. The 76ers forced 22 Lakers turnovers and secured a 91-72 advantage in field goals attempted.
They did so as Embiid missed his 12th straight game with foot and knee injuries and his 32nd of the season due to a multitude of reasons. His timeline to return is unclear.
George sat with what the 76ers announced on Tuesday was a tendon injury in his left pinkie finger. He sustained the injury on Saturday in a win over the Bulls. His timeline to return is unclear, though head coach Nick Nurse told reporters that he was considered day-to-day.
