Lakers star center Anthony Davis won’t miss time with his latest eye injury, he said Tuesday after practice.
“The eye is good,” he said.
Davis was poked in the left eye during the third quarter Sunday night in that of the team win over Toronto blocking Jakob Poeltl’s dunk attempt. Davis fell to the court in significant pain and left the game.
“Nothing happens after that,” said Davis, who missed a game last week with a sore heel, an injury the Lakers are still monitoring. “I go about my days as I would on any other day. I don’t need to do anything. The next step is to get some more sleep and prepare for tomorrow.”
There was visible redness in the center of his eye, but Davis said doctors cleared him. And before the question could even be asked, he said he wouldn’t be wearing goggles.
“I don’t want to,” he said. “…I was wearing glasses. For three years when I was younger. I just don’t want to, to be honest. Obviously, the doctors said I shouldn’t. Now if it gets to a point where doctor’s orders are [wear them] … if it gets to that point where my eye doctor tells me I have to wear them, then of course I will. But I’m free to go out and play without them.”
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Davis said he practiced in goggles on Tuesday. D’Angelo Russell did not practice due to illness before the team hosted Memphis on Wednesday.
Without Davis, the Lakers leaned on backup center Jaxson Hayes, who led them with a plus-21 rating. He finished with 12 points and six rebounds in the 123-103 comeback win over the Raptors.
“Both sides of the ball, just doing their job, pressing the rim offensively, screening, and then also his offensive rebounding, got us some extra possessions,” coach. JJ Redick said of Hayes. “And then he had back-to-back defensive plays that were outstanding.”
The Lakers will have to lean on Hayes, as Redick announced that veteran Christian Wood will miss at least the next four weeks after experiencing soreness in his left knee. Wood did not play after the All-Star break last season due to a knee injury, had surgery this summer on the knee again, and in his slow rise to play, suffered a setback. He has not played in an NBA game since February 22nd.
However, Redick said the Lakers are comfortable with their frontcourt depth.
“We are very confident in Jaxson. And Christian really picked up on our language and terminology and system,” Redick said. “So we know AD might not play 81 games. So feel confident with both of those guys.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
