AD late scratch; Lakers hopeful he'll face Clippers
Written by I Dig SportsLOS ANGELES -- With Lakers big man Anthony Davis on the bench, a late scratch because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, L.A. held on to beat the Brooklyn Nets 102-101 on Friday.
Austin Reaves scored a career-high 38 points and LeBron James added 29 points and eight assists as the Lakers survived after D'Angelo Russell -- whom they traded to Brooklyn last month -- missed a potential game-winning 3 with 4.6 seconds left.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said his "assumption" is that Davis -- who has played in all but three games for L.A. this season, averaging 25.8 points on 52.3% shooting, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 blocks -- will return Sunday against the LA Clippers.
"He went through his pregame [warmup] and had some soreness in that foot," Redick said. "And out of an abundance of caution, we held him out tonight."
Redick added that he also assumes the team will have Dorian Finney-Smith, acquired in the Nets trade, back for the Clippers game after he missed the past two games after the birth of his son.
Jaxson Hayes started at center with Davis out, collecting six points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes.
Redick complimented Hayes' effort in the Lakers' win Wednesday over the Miami Heat that snapped a three-game losing streak.
"That was his best game that he's had since he returned from injury," Redick said of Hayes, who missed 21 games from mid-November through late December due to an ankle injury. "It's been a long time, obviously, since he felt that pop and that juice that he can provide the activity and all that stuff."
With Hayes bumped to the starting lineup, newly signed two-way center Trey Jemison III filled in as L.A.'s backup big, playing 15 minutes and tallying four rebounds and two blocks.
Jemison said he found out five minutes before the game that Davis was out.
"It's a blessing to get my feet wet, get it out the way," Jemison said. "First game jitters are over with now. It's time to work."