The Los Angeles Lakers faced a tense moment on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors when superstar Anthony Davis was struck in the eye by Jakob Poeltl in the third quarter.
Davis immediately left the game and didn’t return, forcing backup Jaxson Hayes to step in alongside D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dalton Knecht.
At the time, the Lakers were behind 73-70, which was concerning with the struggling 2-8 Raptors in town. However, Hayes quickly made an impact, helping the Lakers rally. Hayes was on the floor during a 14-6 run and an 18-9 stretch to close out the third quarter.
Hayes played 21 minutes and finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and a plus-21 rating. His strong performance helped the Lakers secure a 20-point win, improving their record to 6-4. After the game, Reaves, who led the team with 27 points, praised Hayes for his contribution.
“I thought Jaxson was amazing tonight,” Reaves said. “From that third quarter on, he probably played one of his best games since he’s been here. Active defensively, being a scorer in the pocket, rebounder. I thought he did a lot of really good things.”
Reaves also acknowledged that no one can fully replace Davis, but the team’s collective effort helped get the job done.
As Reaves mentioned, it’s impossible for one player to replace Davis’ impact. But Hayes filled in admirably, playing efficiently on offense and solid defense, allowing the Lakers to go on a run.
It’s still unclear how much time Davis may miss, but if he does, Hayes has proven he can step up in the right circumstances. After the game, head coach JJ Redick mentioned that Davis had difficulty seeing due to the eye injury but didn’t have more information.
“I just know that he got poked in it. He was having trouble seeing. Obviously, when you take a trauma to the eye, it takes a little bit of time to get your vision back. But other than that, no update,” Redick said.
Davis is set to have his eye checked, and the Lakers will determine next steps based on the results.
