Los Angeles, April 8, 2024 – In a disappointing turn of events, Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers aggravated a left eye injury during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, forcing him to exit the game in the first half. The incident occurred when Davis was inadvertently hit in the face by Wolves forward Kyle Anderson late in the first quarter, while scoring off an offensive rebound.
The impact of the hit immediately sent Davis to the floor, prompting him to cover his face with his hands. The Lakers were already without LeBron James, who was sidelined due to flu-like symptoms, further adding to their woes.
Following the injury, Davis went to the locker room for evaluation and did not return for the second half. This absence proved costly for the Lakers, as the Timberwolves capitalized on the opportunity, outscoring them 46-27 in the second quarter.
This is not the first time Davis has suffered an eye injury. He previously sustained a corneal abrasion to his left eye during the Lakers’ game against the Golden State Warriors on March 16. In that instance, Davis was struck in the eye by Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis in the first quarter, which also led to an early exit from the game.
The severity of the injury required Davis to seek specialized medical attention, as sources revealed that his vision was temporarily impaired and his eyelid was swollen shut. Davis later recounted his experience, expressing his struggle with blurred vision and discomfort, stating, ‘I just couldn’t see. The corneal abrasion was actually right in the middle of my eye. It wasn’t like off to the side. So anytime I looked it was blurry. My eye was swollen. I thought my eye was like, [torn] open. But it wasn’t. It kept watering. It just felt like sand was in my eye.’
As the Lakers continue to navigate the challenges of the season, they currently hold the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with three games remaining in their regular-season schedule. Looking ahead, the Lakers are set to host the Golden State Warriors, the West’s No. 10 team, in their upcoming game on Tuesday.
