The Los Angeles Lakers announced that Anthony Davis suffered a left knee contusion against the Minnesota Timberwolves and will undergo further testing on Saturday in Chicago.
Davis exited the game in the third quarter against the Timberwolves after Jaden McDaniels fell into his leg. Davis had already hurt himself in the first half after rolling his ankle, but was able to return.
With six players already unavailable due to health and safety protocols, Davis’ presence was sorely missed as Minnesota reeled off a large run immediately after he exited en route to a 110-92 blow out. The loss snapped the Lakers’ three-game winning streak, which is poor timing considering the difficulty of their upcoming slate of games.
It has been another disappointing season health-wise for Davis, who has suffered a several injuries that have forced him to miss games. However, this recent knee injury is the most concerning given how he struggled to walk all the way back to the locker room. Testing will provide a clearer picture of the injury, though at this point it feels like a foregone conclusion that Davis will be sidelined for multiple games.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Davis’ camp is optimistic that he avoided serious injury, although the MRI on Saturday will ultimately tell the full story:
Source familiar with Anthony Davis’ left knee injury tells ESPN, “so far all is in good structure, but want to take another image.”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 18, 2021
Availability has been the Achilles heel of this Los Angeles squad as nearly everyone on the roster has missed time for various reasons. The coronavirus (COVID-19) cases across the league have increased at an alarming rate, with the Lakers themselves struggling with multiple players bouncing in and out of protocols.
While Russell Westbrook was able to be cleared in time to play against the Timberwolves, Malik Monk was unfortunately placed back in protocols after initially testing out of them.
With Davis sidelined and six players currently out due to coronavirus, head coach Frank Vogel is going to have to lean more heavily on LeBron James and Westbrook. While the two stars should be able to keep the team afloat, the lack of depth at every position will make it an uphill climb as they navigate the upcoming week.
Vogel is hopeful it won’t be a long absence for Davis though.
“The less the better. Hopefully, it’s something minor and he can get back soon. We’ll find out tomorrow.”
Lebron James on Anthony Davis’ knee injury
While the Lakers will surely miss Davis on the court, the most important thing will be the star big man getting right sooner rather than later. When asked about Davis’ injury, James expressed some concern for his teammate and close friend.
“My concern is always for his health,” James said. “You always hope for the best for your teammates, but especially a guy like AD. So you wish for the best, but it’s in the man above’s hands.”
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