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During the third quarter of the game against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, Anthony Davis had to leave the court after sustaining a facial injury while attempting to block a dunk from Jakob Poeltl.
Davis executed a one-handed block, but in the process, Poeltl inadvertently struck him in the face and eye with his other hand. Following the incident, the Lakers announced that Davis would not return to the game due to a left eye injury, which is particularly concerning given that he experienced a corneal abrasion in the same eye just last season.
The injury occurred in front of a passionate home crowd, and Davis was seen on the floor visibly in pain, holding his face and rocking back and forth. After a brief period on the ground, he managed to stand up and made his way to the locker room.
Before his exit, Davis had been having an impressive game, contributing 22 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. His strong performance had already sparked discussions about his candidacy for the MVP award early in the season. He entered the game leading the league with an average of 32.4 points per game, along with 11.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, and had recorded six games with 30 or more points this season.
In Davis’ absence, Jaxson Hayes stepped into the rotation and made an immediate impact, scoring three dunks and a layup to help the Lakers continue their momentum.
Davis had also missed a game the previous Wednesday against Memphis due to a left heel contusion. Although he has faced a series of injuries throughout his career, he managed to play a career-high 76 games last season, raising hopes for his durability this year.
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