Anthony Davis had to get an IV bag at halftime, but impressed teammates by fighting through against Nuggets

On top of facing the second-best team in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers were battling flu-like symptoms and the unforgiving Denver altitude on Wednesday, and no one had a harder time dealing with it than Anthony Davis. Davis felt so bad that at halftime he asked for an IV and a bag of liquid so he could help the Lakers finish the game at as close to full strength as he could.

Either Davis hid his sickness really well or he was filled with adamantium at halftime, because he finished the game with 25 points (tied for the game-high with LeBron James) and 10 rebounds, and had the two biggest defensive possessions of the game. It was the single-most impressive flu game a Chicago sports icon has ever played.

After the Lakers’ 105-96 win over the Nuggets, Davis told reporters that he was determined to close the game out and help his team get win No. 18 (via Spectrum SportsNet):

“I just tried to fight and do whatever I can to help the team win. I felt like I was able to give it a go and help the team and contribute as much as I can, and get the win.”

Davis’ assessment of his performance was modest, to say the least. Luckily, Frank Vogel said everything didn’t in his postgame press conference:

The Lakers are hoping Davis can muster up the strength to suit up against the Utah Jazz on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday. The Jazz have been beaten down pretty badly in their last two games, so the Lakers will get their best punch in Utah’s return from a five-game road trip.

But if Davis can’t give it a go, it would be understandable, especially after his superhuman performance on Wednesday.

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