Injury Bug Strikes LA Lakers Again as Anthony Davis Suffers MCL Sprain in Loss to Wolves

(Photo : David Berding/Getty Images) MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after getting injured in the third quarter. Davis did not return against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on December 17, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 110-92.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after picking up a knee injury in Friday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team announced the unfortunate development on Saturday, with tests revealing that Davis suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee.

Davis to miss at least a month because of knee injury

Davis got injured during the third quarter of the Lakers' 110-92 loss at Target Center after Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels lost his balance and tumbled into the Lakers star's knee. McDaniels was pushed by LeBron James, who was called for an offensive foul with six minutes and 41 seconds left in the quarter.

Davis limped off the court after the incident, going back to Los Angeles' locker room without assistance. The pain, however, proved to be too much for Davis, who was captured on camera collapsing to the ground as he was making his way through the tunnel. It was a worrying scene for Davis, who had missed only three of the Lakers' first 30 games this season due to injury.

An MRI exam was conducted on Davis in Chicago on Saturday, the third evaluation he has had on his problematic left knee this past week. An ultrasound was administered on Davis on Monday after missing two games because of left knee soreness. The next evaluation came after Friday's game when a Timberwolves team doctor checked on his knee.

The latest exam was not kind to Davis with the MRI showing a sprained MCL in his left knee. He will miss about four weeks because of the injury, a huge loss for the Lakers, who are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with a 16-14 record. Even with his struggles this campaign, Davis remains a vital cog for the Lakers, averaging 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game this season.

Injuries hound Davis again

He played a huge role in the Lakers' title winning campaign in 2020, appearing in 62 games in his first season with the club. Davis raised his performance while inside the Florida Bubble, averaging 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 28 games played.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the injury bug has struck Davis again, derailing the momentum he got from his championship-winning campaign in 2020. He only played 36 games last season for the Lakers as injuries prevented him from finishing the 2020-21 campaign. The Lakers suffered as a result, losing in six games to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.

It remains to be seen what effect Davis' injury will have on the Lakers this time around. To make matters worse for LA, a COVID-19 outbreak is engulfing the club at the moment with Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves, Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard all placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols at the moment. Head coach Frank Vogel has also tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Lakers' next few games.