Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis left Game 5 vs. the Warriors on Wednesday night after suffering an elbow to the face from Kevon Looney:
Anthony Davis took an elbow to the face by Kevon Looney and headed to the Lakers bench 😮pic.twitter.com/DCSyQQmflb
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 11, 2023
Davis subbed out of the game and was seen on the bench holding his head. He then left the court, was ruled out with a "head injury," and Turner Sports' Chris Haynes reported that Davis had to be wheeled out in a wheelchair.
The Lakers went on to lose, forcing a Game 6 in LA on Friday.
Anthony Davis (head injury) will not return to tonight's game pic.twitter.com/DRYHuWzxO0
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 11, 2023
After the game, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said that Davis "already" seemed to be doing much better. Haynes later reported that there is a belief Davis avoided a concussion.
Early diagnosis indicates Anthony Davis appears to have avoided a concussion and is doing much better now, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 11, 2023
The NBA concussion protocol states that a player cannot be evaluated to return to play until 24 hours after the incident has passed. At that time, the player has to be symptom-free at rest, followed by symptom-free at gradually increased levels of exertion.
Concussion protocols are a serious issue in player safety. Bleacher Report reported that the NBPA launched an investigation in 2015 into the league's concussion protocol. The results of that investigation were never made public.
However, it sounds like Davis, for now, has not entered the concussion protocol. Thursday will be key as the medical staff waits for him to exhibit (or self-report in most instances) symptoms. This video highlights some of the potential issues Davis could be facing as he attempts to recover and similarities between his reaction on the bench and someone with concussion-like symptoms.
NEW VIDEO
Anthony Davis injury reviewhttps://t.co/bQmyEdy1La— Brian Sutterer MD (@BrianSuttererMD) May 11, 2023
Lakers players seemed to echo the sentiment of their coach that Davis would be able to play in Game 6 in less than 48 hours:
LeBron on his level of concern about AD:
"I didn’t see the (elbow from Looney), I just saw the aftermath. The medical team said he’s doing better, so that’s what matters the most.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 11, 2023
Austin Reaves on looking ahead to Anthony Davis’ status for Game 6: “I believe he’ll play”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 11, 2023
Davis has been key for the Lakers, playing at an MVP level on both ends during the playoffs and in this series. He has averaged 22 points on 59% shooting with 14.5 rebounds per game for the Lakers, who lead the series 3-2.
The Lakers are -250 to win the series at DraftKings Sportsbook as of writing. The market opened with the Lakers a 2.5-point favorite in Game 6, according to Action Network's odds page, but immediately that was pulled from the board as more news surfaced. The market reopened with the Lakers as 3-point favorites. The Lakers were 2-point favorites in Game 4 on Monday.
If Davis is unable to play, markets would have to react with a move of several points towards the Warriors, potentially moving to as much as a pick'em.
