An MRI conducted late Tuesday night on Pelicans star Anthony Davis showed no structural damage in his left knee, relays Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Davis, who was feeling pain during warmups, was removed from the game in the first quarter after bumping knees with Portland’s Damian Lillard. He will be listed as day-to-day and may not play Thursday in Sacramento.
Davis was able to walk without a limp after the game, according to ESPN.
“I don’t know a whole lot,” New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said after the game. “Our trainers just said the MRI came back negative. I’m sure we’ll know more tomorrow.”
Problems with the knee have plagued Davis before, as it forced him to cut short his 2012/13 and 2015/16 seasons.
Davis is putting up huge early-season numbers, averaging 31.7 points, 17.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 blocks before his abbreviated stint Tuesday. However, the Pelicans are off to a 1-3 start and will need him in the lineup to avoid falling into a hole in the Western Conference playoff race.
When I saw the replay, I thought he partially tore his ACL. It reminded me of a couple of injuries I’ve had, when his knee buckled in like that. I thought it was at least a knee sprain, so this report definitely is good news