Is Anthony Davis playing tonight against New York Knicks? Latest injury update for 8x All-Star (Dec. 18)

Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers host the New York Knicks in their first game back home since Dec. 5. Davis, who missed the last game, will play tonight. AD has dealt with a hip/adductor injury, but coach Darvin Ham said that his star center's absence in the 129-115 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs was due to an ankle injury.

Davis has been the backbone of the Lakers' season. The eight-time All-Star's averaged 23.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game in 24 outings, missing only two games. The Lakers lost both times despite LeBron James being in action.

Against the Spurs in their last game, the Lakers were more depleted, with D'Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish on the sidelines with Davis. LA missed Davis' defensive presence more than anything on a night where they conceded nearly 130 points against the league's second-worst offense.

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What happened to Anthony Davis?

Davis missed the last game because of an ankle problem, as per Lakers coach Darvin Ham. Davis sustained the injury in the opening contest of the two-game mini-series against the Spurs in San Antonio on Dec. 13.

However, AD is on the injury report for the Knicks game for his nagging hip and adductor issues. He sustained the injury against the Miami Heat on Dec. 6. He seemed to have re-aggravated twice against the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 12., and in the Lakers' NBA In-Season Tournament final win over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 9.

However, that injury hasn't limited AD from making the Lakers' lineup, barring the following game after sustaining it.

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Anthony Davis stats vs New York Knicks

Anthony Davis has played 18 games against the New York Knicks. The former All-Star game MVP has averaged 25.1 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks against the Knicks, shooting 51.9%. Davis and the Lakers haven't played against the Knicks this year ahead of Monday's showdown in LA.

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Lackluster Anthony Davis-less LA Lakers prove former No.1 pick's ceiling is directly related to team success

The Lakers are coming off one of their worst performances of the season. They got blown out by a slumping San Antonio Spurs team on a 17-game losing streak. The Lakers missed Anthony Davis, who lit up San Antonio a few days before with a 37-point double-double.

Despite Victor Wembanyama's presence in the paint, the Spurs had no answers for an in-form AD. Granted, the Lakers were missing two more starters, but it was still a winnable game, considering the team's depth.

However, LA lacked the edge they boast defensively with AD on the floor. They also struggled offensively, as the Spurs used efficient schemes without clogging the paint.