Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis suffers back injury in win over New York Knicks; expected to miss at least two games

Benyam Kidane

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis suffers back injury in win over New York Knicks; expected to miss at least two games image

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. 

 

Davis' injury was confirmed as a 'sacral contusion' and will undergo an MRI later today.

"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.

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. 

 

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.