Anthony Davis Says Groin Injury Was Main Reason Lakers Lost to Suns in 2021 Playoffs

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While the Los Angeles Lakers look like anything but title contenders this season, that wasn’t always the case in the recent past.

They won the 2020 title inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble and were back in the Western Conference playoffs looking to defend their crown in 2021. However, they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round.

To hear Anthony Davis tell it, that loss only happened because he suffered a groin injury.

“It was,” he told reporters when asked if the injury was the reason the Lakers lost. “We know that. They know that. … They got away with one.”

The comments came before the Lakers faced the Suns on Sunday, so last year’s playoff matchup was surely on everyone’s mind. Davis was unable to take the court again because of a foot injury this time, although he also told reporters he is optimistic he will return at some point this season.

While the same Phoenix team that went all the way to the NBA Finals may have won that series even if the Kentucky product stayed healthy, it isn’t difficult to see why he feels that way.

After all, the Lakers won two of the first three games, and he notched 34-point double-doubles in both of the victories. He was clearly a matchup problem for Phoenix’s frontcourt and had plenty of playoff momentum on his side after just winning his first career ring the prior season.

And then the groin injury happened.

Davis played 19 minutes in Game 4, missed Game 5 entirely and then managed a mere five minutes in Game 6. The Lakers lost all three contests and saw their title defense go out the window, while the Suns parlayed the momentum from that series all the way to the NBA Finals.

The Purple and Gold responded by dramatically reshaping the roster during the offseason and may want some of those moves back considering they entered Sunday’s game at 29-37 and in ninth place in the Western Conference standings.

Davis’ health is one reason for the struggles, although Russell Westbrook hasn’t been an ideal fit and 37-year-old LeBron James has been forced to carry a significant burden on a nightly basis.

Perhaps Davis can return in time for a potential playoff rematch with the Suns. His comments may even motivate the defending Western Conference champions.