Lakers lose Anthony Davis to right foot injury, forcing him out of tonight’s game vs. the Thunder

Anthony Davis has been ruled out of contention to feature against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, due to a right foot stress injury that’s been forcing him to sit out of games from earlier this season, the Los Angeles Lakers have announced. 

Already short-handed without LeBron James, who’s been sidelined for at least two weeks with a sore right foot injury, and D’Angelo Russell, who’s suffering from a right ankle sprain, the Lakers were looking to get back on track against the Thunder after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday (121-109). 

Only a single game separates both teams in the Western Conference standings, as LA ranks as the 12th seed – two spots under the last play-in berth, currently taken by the New Orleans Pelicans.  

The Thunder are the West’s 13th seed, sitting one game behind the Lakers. 

Davis was forced to watch his teammates hoop without him for 20 straight games from mid-December until late January due to his right foot. The Lakers have only played one back-to-back since the 29-year-old’s return to the team’s starting lineup last month and before this week.

Anthony Davis will sit out vs. the Thunder on Wednesday in a blow to the team’s playoff hopes

The Lakers are already without star LeBron James (pictured in Memphis) for at least two weeks

Davis sat out of LA’s first road game in New York against the Nets on January 30 to not reinjure his right foot before putting up 26 points and nine rebounds at Madison Square Garden in a 129-123 win against the Knicks, just a day afterwards. 

However, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is bullish that he will have Davis, James and Russell back on time for the team’s three remaining back-to-backs on its schedule. 

‘We’ll manage how we need to manage on non-game days,’ Ham said. ‘But I expect everybody to be suited up.’

James particularly said at the All-Star game that the Lakers’ stretch run after the weeklong break is ’23 of the most important games of my career for a regular season’. 

‘The King’ will be hoping for his teammates to step up in Oklahoma on Wednesday, as the Thunder also play the second night of a back-to-back, coming off a 123-117 loss to the Sacramento Kings. 

That’s four losses in a row now for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co.

‘We got a must-win tomorrow, we believe, in this locker room,’ Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder told ESPN after Monday’s loss to Memphis. 

‘So we just got to get to OKC and try to win.’ 

Lakers coach Darvin Ham is staying upbeat despite all three of his stars sitting out with injuries