AD impresses LeBron, Vogel by playing through injuries
Anthony Davis put up 24 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-115 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The performance was even more impressive given the right shoulder issue he's dealt with since the season began and a ribs injury suffered during the contest.
"He wants to play," teammate LeBron James told reporters postgame, including ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "He wants to play, and we just have to pick it up.
"For him, when he's showing that grit when he's playing with injuries, there's no reason for any of us not to be out there as well. He's been showing everything."
Davis, who took a shot to his ribs in the first quarter, got taped up after the third quarter and later returned to the game. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said Davis was "playing through a lot of pain" and credited the six-time All-Star for toughing it out.
"I just want to play," Davis said afterward. "Like I said, it's tough for me to lead from the sideline.
"The more I can do on the floor to help this team win, that's what I try to do. I know what our goal is, I know what we're trying to build. So the more I can try to stay on the floor, the more steps we move toward our goal."
While the Lakers said X-rays on Davis' ribs came back negative, he'll miss Wednesday's matchup against the Golden State Warriors due to shoulder and rib soreness, sources told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.
The 6-foot-10 power forward is averaging 26.3 points, 10.4 boards, and 2.9 blocks across 10 appearances this season.