Anthony Davis leaves Game 6 vs. Suns early after re-injuring groin

Los Angeles Lakers team doctors cleared Anthony Davis to return for their critical Game 6 matchup with the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.

That decision, however, seems to have been premature.

Davis lasted less than six minutes at the Staples Center on Thursday before he had to leave the game. The Lakers listed him as questionable to return initially, and then said at halftime that he was done for the night.

Davis, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, didn't actually injure his groin any further, however "the pain intensifies when his mobility is tested" on the court.

The Lakers failed to get past the Suns without him, and dropped Game 6 113-100. The Suns will now advance to take on the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs.

Davis re-injures groin almost instantly

Davis, less than six minutes into the quarter, tried to get up and defend Suns star Devin Booker at the rim. As he was coming back down to the court, however, Davis appeared to pull his groin again.

Davis hopped around a bit on the baseline before making his way to the ground in front of the Lakers bench, where he subbed himself out.

Davis then went to the locker room as play resumed, though he came back out to the bench before the quarter ended. He recorded one rebound and one assist.

Davis first left Game 4 of their series with Phoenix after falling to the ground after a layup. He was ruled out of Game 5 days later with a groin strain — something that significantly hurt the Lakers. The Suns dominated the Lakers by 30 points in that matchup to take a 3-2 series lead.

He was cleared to return just before Game 6 tipped on Thursday night.

The Lakers still seemed out of it after Tuesday’s loss, however, and fell into a 22-point hole after the first quarter. Booker put up 22 points himself while shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from behind the arc, and finished with a season-high 47 points in their 13-point win.

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