Kobe Bryant and Anthony Davis both missed games Sunday.
It’ll be the 37-year-old, not the 22-year-old, returning tonight.
Justin Verrier of ESPN:
Anthony Davis (back) will "probably not" play tonight against the Lakers, per Alvin Gentry.
— Justin Verrier (@JustinVerrier) January 13, 2016
Baxter Holmes of ESPN:
Kobe Bryant and D'Angelo Russell will play tonight vs. the Pelicans.
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) January 13, 2016
D’Angelo Russell’s return tonight seemed more certain. He sprained his ankle against the Kings on Thursday, played just eight minutes Friday and then also sat Sunday.
Kobe was nursing a strained right Achilles tendon, and Davis has a sore back.
The Pelicans have been lousy this season even with Davis. They turn downright awful without him.
They’re 11-21 when Davis plays and 0-4 when he doesn’t. Here’s how their performance changes with him on the court to off:
- Offensive rating: 102.1 to 100.0
- Defensive rating: 104.7 to 110.2
- Net rating: -2.6 to -10.2
This is to say it should be a good matchup for the Lakers.