The Lakers were without Anthony Davis and Dorian Finney-Smith on Friday, but Lakers head coach JJ Redick expects both to be available for Sunday’s game versus the Clippers.
For Friday’s matchup versus the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers had Dorian Finney-Smith unavailable for the second game in a row due to personal reasons. Before the game, Anthony Davis was a late scratch due to his left plantar fasciitis causing soreness.
Despite missing their best player and a key rotation piece, Los Angeles escaped with a win over Brooklyn 102-101.
After the victory, Lakers head coach JJ Redick seemed confident that both players would be back and ready to play for Sunday’s matchup versus their local rival, the Los Angeles Clippers.
“My assumption is yes,” Redick said. “He went through his pregame and had some soreness in that foot and out of an abundance of caution, we held him on tonight.”
Davis has dealt with this issue for a while now. Back in November, he missed action due to plantar fasciitis. So, given that plantar fasciitis injuries can linger, it’s no surprise he has to manage it and will miss games from time to time to avoid a potentially longer absence.
The last thing Lakers fans want is AD missing time, but he’s been out for only three games this season. So, it seems this injury is something to monitor.
However, it hasn’t been too debilitating, as Davis has still been able to perform at an All-Star level.
DFS has been out for two games now for personal reasons. While the team has not disclosed why, his partner recently gave birth to a baby boy.
The newest Lakers wing was part of the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn and brought him here and his return will give Redick another defensive option on the perimeter.
Both are likely back for Sunday’s game, giving the Lakers the best chance of beating the Clippers on the road.
This will be the first-ever game between the two teams at the Clippers’ new stadium, the Intuit Dome and the energy and experience for players and fans alike will be unique.
This matchup will be a good test for the Lakers as the Clippers are a half-game ahead of them in the standings and have been a quality team all year long. Hopefully, no further setbacks occur and the Lakers can play them at close to full strength.
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