Russell Westbrook #0, LeBron James #6 and Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers check on teammate Anthony Davis #3 after an injury in the second quarter against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on February 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images/AFP
Lakers forward Anthony Davis will be sidelined a minimum of four weeks after sustaining a right mid-foot sprain in Los Angeles’ 106-101 win against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Davis underwent X-rays on Wednesday that revealed no fracture, but an MRI exam on Thursday revealed the extent of the injury, according to the team.
Earlier reports indicated that the injury was to the right ankle and that Davis could be back in as little as two weeks.
Davis was pulling down a rebound in the air when his right foot landed on the heel of Utah’s Rudy Gobert. Davis’ right ankle rolled, sending him immediately to the floor.
After a visit from team medical staff, Davis was helped off the court, unable to put weight on his right foot. He collected 17 points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 17 minutes before leaving.
“Win games until we get him back,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel told reporters. “It’s that simple. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We don’t know obviously how long it will be, but we gotta win as many games as we can down the stretch and believe in the group that we have. And hopefully we’re able to get whole as quickly as possible.”
The Lakers (27-31) return to action on February 25 against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.
It has been an injury-plagued season for the eight-time All-Star, who had been listed as probable for Wednesday’s game with a wrist injury. Davis had just returned Jan. 23 from a 17-game absence because of a knee injury. He also missed significant time last season with separate calf and knee injuries.
Davis, 28, is averaging 23.1 points and 9.7 assists in 37 games this season. He has averaged 23.8 points and 10.2 rebounds in 601 career games (596 starts).