Anthony Davis couldn’t stop throwing up, had to sit out vs. Trail Blazers

Anthony Davis was ruled out during the second quarter vs. the Portland Trail Blazers, not because of the right thumb sprain he sustained on Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder that left him a gametime decision on Saturday, but because of what the team only only called a “stomach illness,” a designation that sounded much more unpleasant than that after a postgame update.

Davis finished the night with 2 points on 1-5 shooting and 3 rebounds in seven first-quarter minutes, and his inefficiency is understandable given how horribly he was reportedly feeling:

Hopefully he’s all right soon, but while giving Davis a rest to make sure he’s fully healthy moving forward might seem like a simple choice, Vogel had already made it clear before the game that sitting out is not an easy decision for the big man.

“I know this year he’s really upset with how last year went, and how much time he missed,” Vogel said while Davis was still testing out if he could play on the court. “Everything that is 50/50 on whether he’ll be in or out thus far this year, it’s been ‘I’m playing unless I absolutely can’t play.’ He was upset with how much time he missed last year, so if he can play without major limitations he’s going to be in there.”

With Davis officially ruled out, that “without major limitations” qualifier loomed large, but between how ill he apparently was, his thumb injury, and the Lakers not being able to get anything going, it made sense to just sit him down. Good on him for trying to give it a go, but some things just can’t be played through.

Unfortunately, while this could just be a one-game thing, for as long as Davis out, the Lakers will be extremely limited in the frontcourt. With LeBron James (groin strain) and Trevor Ariza (ankle surgery) already sidelined with injuries, the team’s only power forward besides Davis is Melo, who also just so happens to be the only other healthy player besides Dwight Howard or DeAndre Jordan who is 6’7 or taller.

Davis’ health is what’s most important here, but on the floor, this next stretch could get pretty ugly as Russell Westbrook and a band of merry minimum’s try to stay afloat. Anyone who watched this team against the Blazers could already see that.

This developing story may update with more information. For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.