Anthony Davis injury update: When will Lakers star return to action?

The Los Angeles Lakers ceded the ninth seed in the Western Conference standings last night following their loss to the Golden State Warriors, potentially costing themselves home-court advantage in the NBA Play-In Tournament. 

However, the Lakers may have far more pressing problems to worry about after All-Star big man Anthony Davis suffered a left eye contusion in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Warriors.

Davis was officially ruled out at halftime due to impaired vision – his left eye was swollen shut following the incident, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. 

Anthony Davis injury update: When will Lakers star return?

AD's status ahead of Los Angeles’ upcoming contest against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday is now in question as the team monitors the swelling, McMenamin notes.

Sitting at 36-32 and in 10th place in the West, the Lakers cannot afford to be without Davis for an extended period, so his having a shot at suiting up for Monday’s game in Los Angeles bodes well for his long-term prospects and potential return to action sooner than later.

Typically a player who misses several games throughout the season due to injury, Davis has had a clean bill of health in 2023-24, appearing in 64 of 68 games for Los Angeles – his most regular season games played as a Laker and his highest tally since 2017-18.

Averaging 24.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 55.1 percent from the field, Davis has been dominant this season on both ends of the floor. 

Any time Davis has to miss due to his eye injury (if he has to) will be detrimental to the Lakers and their hopes of climbing up the standings. Los Angeles has a 1-3 record in the four games without him this season.