Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis grabbed his left ankle after stepping backwards onto Wenyen Gabriel’s foot during the third quarter of Friday night’s 123-111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Afterwards, the Lakers’ medical staff diagnosed his injury as a left ankle sprain.
Davis was helped to the bench during an ensuing timeout while Los Angeles trailed 76-70. However, the eight-time All-Star didn’t miss a single possession. The 6-foot-10 center logged 38 points, 17 rebounds, one steal, and two blocks in 37 minutes of action. Davis also shot 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field and 8-of-10 (80%) at the foul line.
Referring to a few NBA betting sites, the Lakers have eighth-shortest odds to win the championship. Some sportsbooks are showing greater odds for the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets.
Final: Lakers 123, Wolves 111
LA moves to 39-38 — their first time over. 500 this season — and jumps to No. 7 in the West. AD gutted out an ankle injury w/ 38 points and 17 rebounds. Rui Hachimura and Dennis Schroder provided big boosts off the bench.
Up next: at HOU on Sun.
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“I knew I was going to play,” the Lakers superstar said after the win. “Tied the shoes up tighter and just kind off played off adrenaline until the end of the game and was able to get some treatment. But I’ll be fine.
“We’ve made some huge climbs, but we’re not finished. We’re hungry to not only make the playoffs but make some noise.” Davis scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, stemming from 12 straight points over a 3:52 span.
Lakers superstar Anthony Davis (left ankle) is probable for Sunday’s road game against Rockets
Entering Friday night’s matchup, the Lakers had gone 1-5 at Target Center against the Timberwolves with LeBron James. With help from a 24-2 run in the third quarter, Los Angeles improved to 9-4 since losing at home to Minnesota on March 3.
“You’ve got to have that one pivotal force that’s leading the charge, and in our case with this particular team here in the moment it’s AD,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.
“I knew I was going to play regardless. Just that initial tweak — a little bit of pain.” Anthony Davis on his ankle roll and his 38-point performance against the #Twolves. pic.twitter.com/hCM7mRsIdI
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“When he comes out and he’s aggressive and we’re feeding him and he’s not settling and he’s putting pressure on the paint, putting pressure on the rim, we find ourselves having a lot of success.”
Through 51 appearances this season, Anthony Davis is averaging 26.3 points, a career-high 12.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 2.0 blocks per game. The Lakers center is also shooting a career-best 56.7% from the floor and 78.6% at the free throw line.
