LeBron James and Anthony Davis provided health updates after the Lakers’ win over the Suns.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis made it safely through the Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-119 win over the Phoenix Suns, though not without momentary hiccups.

Davis returned to the Lakers’ lineup for the first time since exiting their loss to the Miami Heat on Monday due to left adductor/hip spasms. Despite his optimism about playing against the Houston Rockets, AD was a late scratch. The Lakers were promptly dismantled inside and blown out.

Davis was initially listed as questionable for Friday’s In-Season Tournament clash at the Footprint Center — a game the Lakers, riding a three-game losing skid and facing an 0-6 road record, desperately needed to win. AD was later upgraded to probable and cleared during warm-ups.

At first, Davis’ presence was no elixir for the floundering Lakers. Davis looked wobbly and noncommittal on rebounds and shot contests. He had five points on 2-for-9 shooting at halftime and was being thoroughly outworked by Jusuf Nurkic. The Lakers were, once again, getting killed on the boards.

“Took some time to kind of get into the game, the shots and stuff, just trying not to aggravate it,” Davis said postgame.

Eventually, Davis found (enough of) his footing. He muscled his way to 10 points in the third quarter as the Lakers hung around — setting up a 16-2 blitz to start the fourth quarter (as Davis rested). Nurkic was a non-factor in the second half. The Lakers made a dent in the rebounding gap. AD ended up 5-for-14, but he found his way to 18 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes.

“As the game kind of got going, stopped thinking about it, just started playing. Felt it a couple of times throughout the game, but for the most part, felt good.”

As for LeBron: If you had no context but turned on this game sometime in the second quarter, you would have no idea you were watching an elderly pro hooper, much less one playing through pain.

In the first quarter, LeBron inadvertently collided with Kevin Durant on a foray into the lane. The 38-year-old immediately hopped onto one leg and hobbled/grimaced through a free throw. He looked concerned and uncomfortable while being stretched on the bench. Then, he checked back in to start the second.

“It never loosened up,” LeBron said about the leg issue, which he didn’t officially diagnose. “But I was driving, and, awkwardly, KD’s knee — at the force that I was going — went right into my shin. It locked up then and there. Shot down to my foot.”

And yet! LeBron looked as spry as ever. He alternatively stream-rolled and finessed his way to 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. He enjoyed his most efficient shooting night of 2023-24: 11-for-17 from the field, 3-for-4 from deep, 7-for-11 from the line. He played the entire fourth quarter (36 minutes overall) and never exuded fatigue.

avis seems to be fully back and a lock to play on Sunday vs. the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena. LeBron, meanwhile, said he was feeling “pretty sore,” after icing his leg. The winning helps, too.