One superstar just returned to save the Los Angeles Lakers, but another star might need some rest soon! LeBron James has stomped back. But Anthony Davis, on the other hand, has suffered an apparent shoulder injury. AD grabbed his left shoulder as the Lakers’ medical team rushed over to check on him near the sidelines. Even with the obvious discomfort, though, Davis managed to get back on his feet and showed no intention of leaving the game against the Grizzlies.

During the timeout, he pulled out a tension band and started doing shoulder exercises, clearly trying to stay loose. It’s the kind of resilience you expect in crunch time, but you can’t help wondering how much longer that shoulder will hold up. Eventually, he signaled to come out of the game and headed to the locker room during the third quarter on Sunday.

Before his injury, the 2020 NBA champion packed the stat sheet during his 24 minutes, racking up 28 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. He shot an efficient 11-for-18 from the field but struggled from deep, hitting only 1-of-4 attempts.

The Lakers held an 81-61 lead when the play unfolded, but Davis’ absence shifted the momentum. Memphis capitalized, outscoring Los Angeles 16-5 to close the quarter and shrink a 23-point deficit to just nine! Luke Kennard’s buzzer-beating three-pointer ended the third, adding to LA’s troubles. Turnovers continued to plague JJ’s LA folks, with 17 giveaways leading to 20 points for the Grizzlies.

AD is back in the fourth quarter… And his first shot back had the Lakers go up by 15 once again! The next quarter went on to show how integral LeBron’s scoring partner is to this LA unit.

Anthony Davis’ dominant thump and LeBron’s return reignites the Lakers

On Sunday, the Lakers snagged one of their best wins this season, beating a red-hot Grizzlies team 116-110. They started strong, building a 23-point lead, but Memphis stormed back, especially after Anthony Davis briefly left with an injury. But even with them closing the gap, the LA side locked in late to seal the win. For over 2 quarters, the Lakers shook off their struggles of the past weeks. The fatigue from road games, the stagnant offense, and the bruising losses to more physical teams seemed like distant memories!

AD, once again proving why he’s a nightmare for Memphis, delivered a monster performance. He racked up 40 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. Meanwhile, LeBron James returned after missing two games and put up a solid all-around stat line: 18 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks. AD and LeBron wasted no time making their presence felt, igniting the team early.

Defensively, this was a much-needed bounce-back game for the Lakers. After some concerning lackluster efforts in recent outings, they tightened things up, showing the kind of grit LA fans have been waiting for!