EL SEGUNDO — Anthony Davis says he is recovering from being poked in the left eye by Toronto native Jakob Poeltl, and his latest eye injury still hasn’t convinced him to wear protective glasses.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ star big man said Tuesday that he will play against Memphis on Wednesday night. Davis downplayed the possible impact of the injury, even though his left eye was discolored and red after practice at the Lakers’ training complex.

“I’m going to go about my day and do what I have to do,” Davis said. “The next step is to get more sleep.”

Davis said he had “no idea” whether his latest injury was another corneal abrasion. He suffered the injury last March when he was hit in a game against Golden State, but he did not miss any time.

“I have a few scratches on my eye,” Davis said. “I’m not 100% sure about the medical terminology and stuff like that, but I’m cleared to play.”

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Davis is Determined Not to Wear Glasses

Every time Davis gets poked in the face by opponents, the nine-time All-Star is asked if he would consider wearing glasses or goggles like similarly dominant big men Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Amare Stoudemire. Even before the usual question was completed Tuesday, Davis responded: “No.”

“I don’t want it and the doctor said there’s no need for it,” Davis said. “Now if it comes to a point where doctors give instructions (to wear glasses), then of course I will.”

Davis wore glasses for nearly three years as a high school standout. He briefly tried wearing glasses again in 2020 during the Lakers’ championship run in the Florida pandemic bubble, but quickly gave up.

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Injury Occurred During Impact Block

Davis was injured midway through the third quarter against Toronto on Sunday night, accidentally hitting Davis in the face while blocking a sensational one-handed dunk by Poeltl. Davis did not return to the game, but the Lakers still earned a 123-103 victory over the Raptors.

Davis’ outstanding start to the regular season caused MVP conversations to start early for the 31-year-old player. He ranks second in the NBA with averages of 31.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 blocks per game for the Lakers (6-4).

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Lakers Face Depth Issues at Center

Davis’ backup is Jaxson Hayes, who scored a season-high 12 points against Toronto. However, the Lakers appear to be thin at center due to the ongoing absence of Christian Wood, who has suffered a setback in his recovery from recent left knee surgery.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said Wood had been experiencing knee pain while returning to practice in recent days. Wood has been away from the team for two months.

“We’re going to make it smaller,” Redick said. “We will have an update in approximately four weeks.”