LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Anthony Davis is questionable for Game 5 of the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Suns tonight in Phoenix.
The eight-time all-star forward had an MRI that confirmed a strained groin, coach Frank Vogel said Monday.
“He's literally day to day,'' Vogel said on a Zoom call with reporters. “We'll see how he feels tomorrow. We're going to treat it overnight, do everything we can to get it feeling better. We'll see where he's at tomorrow.''
Davis has not been made available to reporters since suffering the injury with 48 seconds left in the first half of Sunday's 100-92 loss to the Suns that evened the best-of-seven series at two games a piece.
Starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is also listed as questionable, Vogel said. He missed Sunday's game because of a left knee contusion suffered Thursday.
Caldwell-Pope said “I'm fine'' and “doing much better.''
“I wanted to play (Sunday),'' Caldwell-Pope said. “It was 50-50, felt a little more soreness in the knee so I kind of called it and not play. Still questionable about not going (Tuesday).''
Caldwell-Pope was “close'' to being able to play Sunday, Vogel said.
“He felt good shooting the basketball pregame but had discomfort changing directions,'' Vogel said.
Davis suffered the injury when he landed awkwardly after missing a layup, rolled over on the court and reached immediately for his groin.
The Lakers trailed 54-50 at halftime and were outscored 46-42 in the second half without Davis, including 27-15 in the third quarter, when they missed 13 of 16 shots, including all seven 3-point attempts.
“He's one of the best players in the world, so you have to adjust,'' Vogel said. “And I thought we gave great effort trying to overcome that loss but it certainly wasn't enough.''
The Lakers were outscored 6-0 to start the third quarter, trailed by 15 twice, 75-60 and 79-64, and by 16 to end the quarter, 81-65.
The Suns held two 18-point leads in the fourth quarter. The closest the Lakers got in the fourth quarter was within seven, 95-88, with 2:40 left, but their comeback hopes ended when Jae Crowder made a 3-point basket with 1:23 left in the fourth quarter for a 98-88 lead.
Davis started after being listed as questionable because of a sprained left knee suffered in the second quarter of Thursday's 109-95 victory over Phoenix. He had six points on two of nine shooting and four rebounds in 19:24.
“I thought he was laboring a little bit, but there was no way he was not going to play,'' Vogel said. “I thought he gave a heck of a run at it trying to compete through pain.''
If Davis is unable to play, Vogel said there will be more offensive opportunities for LeBron James, but that “obviously we need other guys to step up, not one other guy, but everybody.''
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