UPDATE: It is now official. As expected, Anthony Davis is out for the Lakers’ Game 5 against the Suns on Tuesday night. Markieff Morris will start in Davis’ place.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel confirmed pregame that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would suit up and play for the Lakers in Game 5.
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The Lakers look like they will get one of their starters back for a critical Game 5 Tuesday against the Suns in a series tied 2-2. Just not the one they most need.
The good news is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to play after missing Game 4 with a knee contusion, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN. This was expected after KCP himself said he felt much better after an off-day practice on Monday.
Caldwell Pope’s shooting from 3 — he hit 41% from beyond the arc during the season, although he has struggled and is 1-of-13 in this series — is needed against a Suns team packing the paint on defense. He’s also one of the Lakers’ best perimeter defenders and is a big boost facing a team with Devin Booker and a looking healthy again Chris Paul.
The bad news is it is still unlikely that Anthony Davis will go for the Lakers. Davis suffered a Grade 1 groin strain on Sunday, missing the second half of Game 4, and with him out the Lakers struggled to get points inside or run a fluid offense with him out of the game.
Nothing on either player is official, both will be game-time decisions by the Lakers. Davis has not been ruled out. However, the writing seems to be on the wall.
This season, the Lakers were 1-6 against playoff teams with LeBron James playing but Davis out. Whether LeBron can lift the Lakers to a win without Davis Tuesday night may well determine this series.
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Caldwell-Pope will play for Lakers in Game 5, Anthony Davis is out originally appeared on NBCSports.com