Lakers fans can collectively exhale.
Anthony Davis' MRI came back clean Wednesday morning and revealed only a gluteus maximus contusion. He will travel with the team for its upcoming two-game road trip and be listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Mavericks.
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Davis gingerly walked off the floor during the third quarter of Tuesday night's contest against the Knicks after a scary fall. He collided with New York forward Julius Randle at the basket and landed directly on his back, leaving the six-time All-Star in considerable pain. Davis was surrounded by his teammates and medical personnel before leaving the floor slowly under his own power.
The official diagnosis is good news for the Lakers and Davis, who is averaging 27.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.5 steals in his first season with Los Angeles. Davis should be able to return relatively quickly from the contusion, though it's unclear whether he will be available for this weekend's back-to-back set.
It will be a challenge for the Lakers to extend their current six-game winning streak without Davis, but they do hold the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by 4.5 games over the Nuggets. They can afford to lose a a few regular-season games — they can't afford to lose Davis for an extended stretch.
