Why is Anthony Davis not playing tonight against Brooklyn Nets? Latest injury update for Lakers All-Star (Jan. 17)

Anthony Davis will not suit up for the LA Lakers in Friday night's contest against the Brooklyn Nets. The All-Star center was a late scratch. Davis was on the injury report listed as probable. However, the Lakers downgraded him to questionable with an hour left before ruling him out.

Davis is out, citing the same injury that has made him a staple on the Lakers' injury report. The star big man has been dealing with left plantar fasciitis for most of the season, which has forced him to miss two games. Davis was at shootaround when the announcement was made.

The Lakers will start Jaxson Hayes in his place. Dorian Finney-Smith is the other notable absentee for tonight's clash.

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Lakers barely survive Anthony Davis' absence in one-point win over Nets

The LA Lakers' need for a reliable backup center became even more glaring during Anthony Davis' absence on Friday. The Lakers turned to Jaxson Hayes and new two-way addition Trey Jemison III at the five, but both had struggled, especially offensively. Jemison impressed on defense, but he's not someone the Lakers can rely on for longer stretches because of his offensive limitations.

Hayes logged 33 minutes, tallying six points and nine rebounds, shooting 3 of 7. He wasn't able to impose himself against Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe as well as he would have liked. Meanwhile, Jemison was on the floor for 14 minutes. He didn't attempt a single shot but had four rebounds and two blocks.

The Lakers struggled defensively, especially on the interior, against the Nets' bigs. They gave up 16 second-chance points, scoring only three themselves. Brooklyn also had 12 offensive rebounds compared to LA's six.

The Lakers nearly lost the game if not for D'Angelo Russell missing a 3-pointer with three seconds left that would have iced the contest. Austin Reaves and LeBron James were the only players responsible for keeping LA in it, as the former dropped a career-high 38 points while the latter had 29 on 12 of 17 shots.