BY: CELSO SAMSON — SPORTS ON AIR — CORRESPONDENT
LOS ANGELES — An already challenging season just got tougher for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Anthony Davis will be sidelined for a week and will be re-evaluated after going down with an abdominal strain. The 6-foot-10, 253-lb center-forward sustained the injury in the first quarter of LA’s 118-104 road loss in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Davis played just 10 minutes and carded 10 points and 4 rebounds before exiting in the first quarter.
Although a timetable for a return is framed at 7-to-10 days, Lakers coach J.J. Redick hopes that his All-Star big will be “back next week.” In the meantime, Jaxson Hayes is expected to fill in the middle for the purple-and-gold.
The Lakers are currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 26-19 won-lost record. Davis’ absence is especially critical as the Lakers are in the throes of a six-game road swing.
LeBron James and company are below-average away from home this season at 10-13.
Prior to this injury, AD appeared in 43 games where he averaged a robust 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists a contest.
