Lakers' Anthony Davis is not playing against the Pacers

Lakers’ Anthony Davis will not play against the Pacers because of a sprained ankle

Anthony Davis reacts to a play during a Lakers game on Nov. 17, 2019, at Staples Center.

Dec. 17, 2019 4:01 PM PT

INDIANAPOLIS — Lakers star Anthony Davis will sit out Tuesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers because of a sprained right ankle and veteran forward Jared Dudley will start in his place.

Davis suffered the injury Sunday in the fourth quarter of the Lakers win over the Atlanta Hawks, but finished the game.

“I just wanted to finish the game,” Davis said Sunday night. “Tweaked it a little bit, but just tried to play the rest of the game off adrenaline and then attend to it after the game.”

Davis said his ankle felt sore, but he hoped it would be ready for Tuesday’s game.

He spent the next two days getting treatment on his ankle. Coach Frank Vogel said he did not believe Davis got an MRI exam but was told the sprain was mild.

This is the second game Davis will have sat out this season. He sat out Nov. 13 against the Golden State Warriors because of sore ribs.

The Lakers won that game by 26 points against the team with the worst record in the NBA. The Pacers, on the other hand, are 18-9 and might have a better opportunity to take advantage of the Lakers injuries.

The Lakers will also be without forward Kyle Kuzma, who will sit out his fourth consecutive game because of a left ankle sprain.

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Tania Ganguli

Tania Ganguli covered the Lakers for the Los Angeles Times from 2016-20. Previously, she spent six years covering football, first for the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Fla., then the Houston Chronicle and ESPN. An alumnus of Northwestern University and Arcadia High School, she has written about everything from high school sports to college football to boat racing during the past 15 years.