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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis was ruled out of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ crucial game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night because of a headache and nausea, the team announced about an hour and 45 minutes before tipoff.
LeBron James will play after missing the team’s walkthrough at the arena earlier in the day and being considered a game-time decision.
Davis missed most of the Lakers’ 127-117 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday after aggravating a left eye injury from an inadvertent strike to the face by the Wolves’ Kyle Anderson while scoring on a putback.
“Just a super big game, obviously,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said during his pregame remarks Tuesday. “[Davis] showed up to the arena trying to do everything he could to play, but he just couldn’t quite overcome the headache and the nausea.”
James arrived at the arena approximately an hour and five minutes before tipoff with his hooded sweatshirt pulled over his head as he sipped on hot tea. When asked if he was going to play, James told ESPN, “I’m about to find out.”
James was cleared to play 45 minutes before tipoff, the team announced.
He missed Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves because of flu-like symptoms. He arrived at the arena intending to play on Sunday but went home before tipoff because of an illness.
“Just a lot of rest and fluids,” Ham said when asked how James has spent the time since the loss to the Wolves. “A lot of rest and fluids.”
L.A. is No. 9 in the Western Conference, 1½ games ahead of the No. 10 Warriors. Golden State leads the season series 2-1.