Even before this season—before we knew that the Lakers would trade Russell Westbrook or that they’d go on a late-season run and look like a contender—it wouldn’t have been a stretch to say that the club’s campaign would ultimately come down to Anthony Davis’s health.
Following Wednesday night’s outcome—the defending champion Warriors won at home to force Game 6— it now looks like we’re at that point. Midway through the fourth quarter of Game 5, the Los Angeles superstar took an inadvertent blow to the temple from Golden State center Kevon Looney, immediately grabbing his face in pain. After going over to the bench to take a seat and get looked at briefly by an athletic trainer, he seemed to woozily get back to his feet.
“Guys, Anthony Davis was wheeled out on a wheelchair,” TNT sideline reporter Chris Haynes said toward the tail end of the game broadcast. “I believe he’s headed to the locker room for further evaluation, but it didn’t look good.”
