LOS ANGELES — This Lakers season has been one of gradual deflation and dwindling hope.

But the gentle downward slope of the franchise’s ambitions tumbled sharply along with Anthony Davis, as his right ankle twisted awkwardly toward the court during the second quarter of Wednesday night’s game against the Utah Jazz. The fall sent a shock up Davis’ leg, and he screamed and rolled in agony – pain that quickly spread throughout the breathless fans in the home crowd.

While the Lakers (27-31) were able to put together an electrifying fourth-quarter effort in a 106-101 victory over the fourth-place Jazz, it was still hard to escape everything the Lakers hoped this season might be is now riding on that ankle. As of Wednesday night, the Lakers diagnosed Davis with a sprain of unspecified severity. X-rays showed no signs of fractures, with an MRI reportedly scheduled for Thursday morning.

Davis’ injury – which at face value looked to be the kind that will keep him out a while – might finally crush the Lakers’ dreams of making a late push toward contention this season.

There has been cruelty in how the Lakers have stumbled this season: Their best games and efforts are often followed by the most devastating blows. That was true Wednesday night, as Davis was in the midst of a dominant offensive showing – 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting in 17 minutes – when he leaped for a pass from Malik Monk, clipped his right foot against Jazz center Rudy Gobert’s heel in mid-air and came down hard.

Davis rolled around for a minute as teammates watched, numbed by yet another gut punch. It’s not the first time Davis has been injured this season: He missed 17 games after suffering a left knee sprain on Dec. 17, and the Lakers went 7-10 without him. When Davis was helped off the court, he could not put any weight on his right leg.

It’s a lot to ask a team that has already dealt with wonky chemistry, COVID-19 absences, injuries and trade deadline drama to sustain another long-term injury to one of its stars. Davis had averaged 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in his first 36 games, and his inspired effort in one half against Gobert was a reminder that when motivated, he can play as one of the best bigs in the NBA.

Somehow out of a fresh batch of bad news, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook helped lead a late push, whittling a 14-point deficit to nothing.

Westbrook looked particularly lively late, darting in for a transition bucket, notching a deflection and scoring an and-one layup in quick succession in a fourth-quarter sequence. Taking a cue from the courtside presence of Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who spent the day riding in a parade as part of the team’s Super Bowl celebration, James turned the corner to bull-rush his way into the paint for a tough finish, forcing the Jazz to call a timeout with 3:17 left.

That play seemed to ignite James, who followed with a game-tying 3-pointer, a dunk and another 3-pointer in Gobert’s face to put the Lakers in position to win down the stretch. James scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth, when the Lakers wound up outscoring the Jazz 35-22.

Key late plays were made by role players: Monk swiped a pass intended for Conley in the final minute, putting him at the line. Moments later, Austin Reaves – who already recorded a game-winner earlier this season – knocked down an open 3-pointer for what proved to be the decisive points.

The Jazz put Westbrook at the free-throw line at the end, but the guard who has been benched in fourth quarters a few times in the past month made three of four to seal the win.

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The Lakers had trouble containing a flurry by crafty Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, who had 15 points in a standout first quarter and scored 37 points for the night. But Mitchell couldn’t make a late 3-point heave in the final 10 seconds to help bring Utah back.

The Lakers were already without veteran forward Carmelo Anthony, who missed his fourth straight game with a hamstring strain, and guard Avery Bradley, who had what Coach Frank Vogel characterized as minor swelling in his right knee.

But the Lakers, with a tenuous hold on ninth place in the Western Conference, know they have little room for error. Vogel mentioned before the game that, even though he often avoids scrutinizing the standings, he pointed out to the players that they have a lot of ground to cover to get out of a play-in tournament slot (the 7-10 seeds).

We’re six games out of the top six, which is a big number,” he said. “Can we make that up? I don’t know.”

After Wednesday night, that uphill battle got all the more steep.

More to come on this story.

The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook, left, LeBron James, center, and Talen Horton-Tucker check on teammate Anthony Davis after he sprained his right ankle during the second quarter of Wednesday night’s game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. X-rays were negative and the team said Davis will receive treatment during the All-Star break and be re-evaluated next week. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)