Anthony Davis and the Lakers received a scare right before beating the Memphis Grizzlies. The Brow, who has been the enforcer this season, held his left shoulder in pain. He returned after a brief exit to finish the game with 40 points. After the destructive night, JJ Redick calmed nerves. He said the injury was only a “stinger”. Maybe that’s not the case.

Playing against their division rivals, the Sacramento Kings, Davis’ shoulder gave out once again after just the first quarter. After being in the game for 10 minutes, Davis grabbed his left shoulder and returned to the locker room for further examination. Luckily, he has been cleared to return to the game.

Just before the game, Davis had spoken about benefitting from a lengthy break because of the NBA Cup Finals. “Having a couple days off, guys letting their bodies heal, and now getting ready to face a team that’s not the team that people think they are as far as standings and record, they’re a much better team obviously they’ve been competitive in the past three or four years,” he said.

Clearly, even though tolerable for Anthony Davis, his shoulder isn’t 100% yet. However, that didn’t stop him from stuffing the stat sheet in just 10 minutes of action. AD scored 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 assist in the beginning. Still, with the Lakers’ struggles on the road, Redick will Davis can resume his electric start as he returns to the game.

Can the Lakers make it 2-0 against the Kings this season with Anthony Davis in fine form?

In recent history, the Purple and Gold have found Sacramento a little troublesome. Over the last ten games, the Lakers have only won twice. The second of those came in October this season when they beat the Kings at home on the back of a stellar triple-double by LeBron James. However, the home atmosphere in Sacramento is completely different.

Since 2022, they have only lost one of their five home clashes against the Los Angeles Lakers. And tonight the feelings of vengeance circle the arena. JJ Redick and Co. will need a collaborative effort. Luckily, thus far, the team has been on the same page. They came out attacking, scoring seven threes in the first quarter.

As resistance was obvious, the Kings’ scoring depth has proved to be a hurdle the Lakers find difficult to cope with. The Kings have three players in double figures as opposed to the Lakers one. In order to survive on a thin two-point lead, Anthony Davis once again holds the key.

Although his role as a playmaker has decreased, Domantas Sabonis starts a lot of actions for the Kings. With him on the floor, they have been a better team, so far, this season. Hence, the center battle becomes crucial. Whoever manages to slow the other down probably holds the fate of their game in their hands.

Up until this point, both of them had their moments. Sabonis has recorded 12 points and seven rebounds while Anthony Davis is one point away from a 19th double-double this season. Do you think the Lakers can win tonight and begin their win streak or will the Sacramento curse prevail? Let us know your views in the comments below.