Anthony Davis blames injury for Lakers loss to Suns during playoffs
Mar 13, 2022, 6:40 PM | Updated: 8:33 pm
Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reaches for a rebound over Mikal Bridges #25 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of Game One of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Phoenix Suns Arena on May 23, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 99-90. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday for the first time since the opening round of the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs. The Suns defeated L.A. in six games, winning three straight after falling behind 2-1.
Lakers forward Anthony Davis suffered a groin injury in the second quarter of Game 4, which ended his series and thus season. Davis was asked by reporters before Sunday’s game whether he thought his injury changed the eventual result of the series.
He said it did.
“We know that, they know that,” Davis said. “They got away with one.”
Phoenix won the following two games by a convincing 43 total points.
Suns head coach Monty Williams was asked a similar question as Davis on Sunday, and he brought up Phoenix’s own injury issues.
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Point guard Chris Paul, an All-NBA player last season, injured his shoulder in Game 1, and it hampered him for much of the series.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel told reporters that he does not want to take away from anything the Suns accomplished.
He pointed out that Phoenix could have won the series if both teams were healthy considering the Suns went to the NBA Finals and now have the best record in the NBA.
“We’ll never know,” Vogel told reporters. “I really don’t want to paint a picture that if he doesn’t get hurt, we win that series because I think that takes away from how good (the Suns) are … I don’t think it’s fair to make any assumptions.”
Anthony Davis, asked if his groin injury is the main reason the Lakers didn’t beat the Suns in the playoffs last year, says: “It was … We know that. They know that … They got away with one”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 13, 2022
The Suns bested the Lakers in Los Angeles twice this year by a combined 28 points. Davis played in one of the two meetings.
Phoenix scored a season-high 79 first-half points against the Lakers on Sunday and went into halftime up by 23 points.
The Suns finished the job 140-111 to extend their winning streak over the Lakers to six games dating back to the playoffs.
Davis did not play due to injury on Sunday.
The two sides will meet again on April 5 in Phoenix.
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