Ever since they won the 2020 NBA world championship in the Walt Disney World Resort bubble, the Los Angeles Lakers have been snake-bit by the injury bug.
In the last 13 months, Anthony Davis has suffered Achilles tendinosis, a strained calf, a sprained MCL and a sprained foot, while LeBron James has sustained a severely sprained ankle, an ab injury and chronic left knee soreness and swelling.
That doesn’t even count Davis’ groin injury in last year’s playoffs that knocked him out for the duration.
When that injury occurred, L.A. was up 2-1 on the Phoenix Suns. From that moment, the Suns dominated with white-hot outside shooting and possibly some irrational confidence.
With the struggling Lakers clinging to the ninth spot in the Western Conference, and the Suns shining brightly in the top spot, a rematch could occur in this year’s playoffs — if L.A. makes it to the play-in tournament and takes both contests there.
Davis is trying to feel some optimism about such a matchup and trying to rectify loss year’s postseason loss.
Via Lakers.com:
“Obviously we owe (Phoenix),” said Davis. “The got us last year so, anytime a team knocks you out, out of the playoffs especially, you always look forward to those games and if we have a chance of a possible playoff series with (Phoenix), we know it’ll be a lot more electric than it was last year. From the standpoint of, we feel like we owe them and they feel like they have our number. That would be fun and hopefully we’ll be able to get that matchup, or whatever the matchup is.”
Without him, the Lakers were demolished by the Suns on Sunday, 140-111, even though Phoenix was without the services of future Hall of Famer Chris Paul.
Davis is optimistic he will return soon from his latest injury. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated within the next several days.