Is Anthony Davis playing tonight? Lakers star out for Timberwolves clash with calf strain

Reigning NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers will square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center on Tuesday, February 16. The NBA regular-season clash between the two teams is scheduled to commence at 8:00 PM ET (Wednesday, February 17 at 6:00 AM IST). However, social media has been abuzz over whether or not Lakers superstar Anthony Davis will feature in the game after he limped off the court during the encounter against the Nuggets on Sunday. 

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Anthony Davis injury update: MRI report reveals positive news for Lakers star

According to reports from The Athletic, Lakers star Anthony Davis underwent an MRI after re-aggravating his Achilles injury during the game against the Nuggets on Sunday. Davis recorded 15 points and four rebounds during 14 minutes of action prior to exiting Sunday's contest before halftime. The seven-time NBA All-Star discussed his injury after the game, a 122-105 Lakers loss, and said that the doctors had given him a "positive update but wanted an MRI scan just to be sure". 

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Davis suffered the injury late in the second quarter of Sunday's game, as he bumped legs with Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic. Jokic's right knee made contact with Davis' right quad. When Davis gathered his dribble after the foul was called and planted his foot, he appeared to aggravate the injury in his lower right leg. 

On Monday, the Lakers confirmed that the MRI results showed no rupture of Davis' right Achilles tendon. However, the 27-year-old is likely to miss a few weeks of action due to a calf strain. A report from ESPN stated that Davis will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks for his calf strain and is unlikely to return to the Lakers lineup prior to the NBA's March 5-10 All-Star break. 

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Is Anthony Davis playing tonight vs Timberwolves? Lakers star to miss action for a few weeks

The Lakers confirmed that Anthony Davis will not be playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. The report went on to add that Davis will be further evaluated by team doctors upon his return to Los Angeles. The team did not give a likely timetable for his return but will be hoping to see him back in action soon. 

Davis has been averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3 assists per game this season. It now remains to be seen whether the Lakers, who are second in the Western Conference standings, rush him back into action. A long-term injury for Davis would be a hammer blow for the Lakers, who are hoping to defend their title. 

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