Anthony Davis injury update: Lakers star says ankle is "fine", will be re-evaluated

With Thursday night's 114-108 victory against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers extended their lead to 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals. With the upcoming Game 5, the Lakers will look to secure their first NBA Finals appearance in a decade. However, Anthony Davis – who scored a game-high 35 points – injured himself during the final period of Game 4, leaving Frank Vogel sweating over his fitness for the crunch clash. 

Anthony Davis is down in serious pain pic.twitter.com/yYCzKWjirZ

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral)

Also read | Anthony Davis yells 'KOBE' while hitting incredible buzzer-beater in Game 2 win vs Nuggets

Anthony Davis injury update: Is Anthony Davis fit to play Game 5 vs Nuggets?

In the fourth quarter, Davis went down while attempting a mid-range jumper. The Lakers were leading 96-92 with 6:44 left on the clock. Davis landed on Nuggets big man Paul Millsap's right heel and proceeded to fall on the ground while clutching his ankle in agony. He tried to shake off the pain and continued playing for the rest of the game. Davis finished the game with 34 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 66.7% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range. 

Also read | LeBron James "disappointed" over the decision in Breonna Taylor case, says Lakers teammate

Vogel says that “there’s always concern” with an ankle injury like Anthony Davis suffered tonight. The team will wait to see how AD responds to treatment tonight and tomorrow to get a better idea of his availability for G5. But considering he finished G4, have to think he plays.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten)

According to Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, the team is always concerned about an ankle injury, especially the one like Davis'. However, the team will see how he responds to treatment before taking a call on his Game 5 availability. ESPN's Dave McMenamin added that he would be surprised if the 27-year-old forward sat out after playing Game 4. 

Also read | Murray, Nuggets hang on to win, cut Lakers' lead to 2-1: Lakers vs Nuggets

Lakers coach Frank Vogel on Anthony Davis (left ankle): "Great toughness. You could see he was in some pain. ... We'll have to see how it responds overnight. ... There's always concern with an injury like that."

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver)

"Great toughness. You could see he was in some pain. ... We'll have to see how it responds overnight," said Vogel. However, Davis was confident that he would be "fine" by Game 5. "Pretty bad, but not too bad … I’ll be fine," Davis told Lakers reporter Mike Trudell while talking about the extent of his injury. 

Also read | Davis, Lakers beat Nuggets to take 3-1 lead in West finals: Lakers vs Nuggets; NBA live scores

"Rolled it pretty bad, but not too bad." - Anthony Davis on his ankle

— Bill Oram (@billoram)

While Davis, along with LeBron James, has been dominating the Lakers' playoffs run, the Nuggets might have the edge with Davis on the bench. Davis started Game 4 with back-to-back points, while James' defence helped close down Nuggets star Jamal Murray, blocking some crucial clutch shots towards the tail end. While the Lakers are favourites to win the 2019-20 championship, the Nuggets have come back from two 3-1 deficits the postseason – first vs the Utah Jazz and second vs the LA Clippers. Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday, 9:00 pm EST (Sunday, 6:30 am IST). 

(Image credits: AP)