Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis exited today's 117-87 win over the New York Knicks after suffering a back injury.
Davis limped off the court late in the third quarter after taking a hard fall as he attempted to defend Julius Randle's drive to the basket, later undergoing X-rays which came back negative.
Anthony Davis won’t return tonight after suffering a sacral contusion. X-Rays were negative.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 8, 2020
Davis' injury was confirmed as a 'sacral contusion' and will undergo an MRI later tonight.
"He's going to go through additional testing, and we'll have an update for you guys," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said post-game. "Fingers crossed, pray for the best. You never want to see any of your guys suffer anything serious, so we just hope and pray for the best right now."
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Davis is expected to miss the team's upcoming road trip with games against the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Anthony Davis was able to walk in the player tunnel at Staples Center as the initial shock of the fall wore off, a source tells ESPN. The plan is for Davis to undergo an MRI on Wednesday. He is expected to miss the upcoming road trip in DAL & OKC to stay back and rehab.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 8, 2020
Davis has appeared in 34 of the Lakers' 36 games this season, previously missing games with shoulder soreness.
In 28 minutes against the Knicks, Davis finished with five points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. LeBron James led the way with 31 points, while Kyle Kuzma (16 points) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (15 points) provided a spark off the bench as the Lakers cruised to their sixth win in a row.