Yahoo Sports Lakers star Anthony Davis out vs. Pacers with flu-like symptoms
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis missed their 124-116 overtime win against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night while dealing with a fever and other flu-like symptoms, the team said.
The non-COVID-19 related issue was something Davis was able to play through on Tuesday night for their game against the New York Knicks. Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Davis was stuck in bed with a fever all day on Wednesday, however, and just simply wasn’t able to go.
"Well we haven't played a lot of minutes without Anthony," Vogel said before Wednesday’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, via ESPN. "He's been in every game, and it's a different challenge for us obviously with what he does on both sides of the ball, and this is a big team that we're playing against, so we will definitely miss his size and length inside.
“We just have to adjust. We've been putting guys in and out of the lineup all year, so it's no different for us tonight."
Davis played through flu symptoms vs. Knicks
Davis dropped 20 points in 34 minutes in their 106-100 loss to the Knicks on Tuesday night in New York, though he didn’t actually make it to Madison Square Garden until the last minute.
"Just woke up not feeling well," Davis said Tuesday, via ESPN. "Headache. All flu symptoms, really. Coughing. Fever. Body aching. Everything. Just in the hotel, waiting for my fever to break, and it was a low-grade fever, could be contagious or something like that, they were telling me. So I couldn't leave until my fever broke.
"And fever broke, got in the car, shot straight here. Like 48 minutes on the game clock. Got in, did as much as I could treatment-wise. Got dressed. Went out to play. That was it."
For being that sick, a 20-point, six-rebound outing is incredibly impressive.
Davis has averaged 24.3 points and 10.3 rebounds so far this season with the Lakers, and had not missed a contest before Wednesday. The Lakers entered their game against the Pacers having lost five of their last seven.
The Lakers survived without Davis in the end, thanks to a season-high 39 points from LeBron James. The Lakers mounted a 12-4 push in the extra period — eight of those points came from James — to take the win. Russell Westbrook finished the night with 20 points and seven rebounds, and Malik Monk added 17 off the bench.
