Lakers’ Anthony Davis is questionable for Friday after MRI exam reveals good news
After a Tuesday night filled with fear and uncertainty, the Lakers received good news Wednesday morning.
Anthony Davis did not have a bone bruise, as the team’s medical staff believed he had Tuesday night after taking a hard fall. Instead, Davis has a bruise on his gluteus maximus, the main muscle that makes up the buttocks.
Although it wasn’t certain whether Davis would travel with the team on its upcoming trip, the Lakers are listing Davis as questionable for Friday’s game in Dallas. The Lakers will play the next night in Oklahoma City.
Davis fell onto his backside after a midair collision with New York Knicks forward Julius Randle while trying to block a shot during the second half of Tuesday night’s game. Davis remained on the court for several minutes as trainers, teammates and coaches surrounded him with concerned looks on their faces. They were relieved when Davis arose with some help and walked off the court on his own power.
“The longer it took for him to get up, I think the worse we started to feel was not a good sign, and also the way he was walking when he got up — I guess X-rays came back negative but we don’t know what the extent of it is,†guard Danny Green said Tuesday night. “He’s a tough kid, regardless, and he’s gonna fight through and try to play, but it’s probably gonna take some time.â€
Anthony Davis will travel with the team to Dallas and Oklahoma City. He is questionable for Friday’s game with a bruised buttocks.
Although Davis did not return to the game, his spirits were high afterward when he greeted teammates in the locker room. He left Staples Center on a motorized cart, but walked on his own power as he entered the backseat of a car.
The Lakers did not practice Wednesday but plan to practice Thursday before flying to Dallas.
Knicks’ Bobby Portis is fined
The NBA fined the Knicks’ Bobby Portis $25,000 for the Flagrant 2 foul he was assessed Tuesday after swiping his arm against Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s head in the second quarter while trying to block a shot. When the Staples Center video board replayed the incident, the crowd gasped at seeing Caldwell-Pope’s head turned hard as his headband went flying.
Portis apologized in the locker room after the game and on Twitter on Wednesday morning: “truly apologize to @CaldwellPope on this play..my intent was not to hurt him...was just trying to make a play on the ball...I come to compete everyday and I only know one way to play and that’s to give 100% ... I’m glad he’s okâ€
Caldwell-Pope said he thought Portis was trying to make a play on the ball, but teammate LeBron James disagreed.
“Yeah it was,†James said, when asked whether it was a dirty play. “There was no play on the ball. I seen the windup happen before the actual impact. I seen the way he was chasing KCP down.â€
Caldwell-Pope was tested for a concussion and returned to the game in the second half.
“It took a couple seconds,†Caldwell-Pope said. “He hit me pretty hard, it took me a couple seconds, you know what I’m saying, just to get back to it. But I feel great just to get back out there, to be cleared from any concussions. And I’m glad I was able to finish the game.â€
Instead of trading struggling forward Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers need to be patient because he’s a good third option on a LeBron James-led team.
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