Lakers star probable to return against Nets Tuesday night
After missing over one month with MCL sprain, Lakers star Anthony Davis is probable to return on Tuesday night vs. the Nets in Brooklyn, according to Shams Charania.
Davis was originally injured on Dec. 17 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had a rough night, rolling his ankle in the opening quarter, but toughed it out and ended up playing 20 minutes before going down in the third.
He struggled to get back to the locker room and the Timberwolves eventually beat the short-handed Lakers squad 110-92.
“[There was] just throbbing pain,” Davis said about the injury when it first happened, “and the pressure going from one end of the court to the other, it just reached the point where it was just tough to walk, so I had to take a break. Like I said, the first thing I did [was] hear something pop, and the first thing I thought of was, you know, [an ACL]. Which, emotionally, I was just everywhere. But like I said, thank God it wasn’t that … But my leg was bothering me, so I just had to drop and just take that pressure off of it.”
Davis underwent an MRI the next day, revealing a sprain in his MCL that would sideline him for at least four weeks. Right on schedule, Davis could appear as soon as Tuesday, but the Lakers surely won’t rush him back if he’s not healthy enough.
Prior to the injury, Davis had only missed three of the Lakers first 30 games and has now missed 17 consecutive games.
“Mentally I’m fine. I’m in a good space,” Davis said. “Last year was more a ‘me’ thing and this year it was more a freakish play. So knowing that there is nothing I could have really done to avoid it keeps me in a good place. The guys in the locker room keep me in a good place, the people around me outside of basketball keep me in a good place.”
Los Angeles, however, sure is missing him, however. Sitting at 23-24 on the season and eighth in the Western Conference. Without Davis in the lineup, his team has a 7-10 record over the past four months. Davis is averaging 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 blocked shots per game this season.
Their next opponents, the Brooklyn Nets, are dealing with the same issue. Kevin Durant is dealing with a similar MCL injury and the Nets have been working on adjusting without him. With Kyrie Irving not being able to play home games, it’s James Harden against the world, so if the Lakers can return a healthy Davis, the advantage is theirs Tuesday night.