Lakers' Anthony Davis won't return against Clippers due to back spasms

Lakers forward Anthony Davis didn’t return to Thursday’s game with the Clippers because of back spasms, the team said.

Davis appeared to get injured in the first quarter on a bizarre play, with Davis accidentally backing into an extended section of the scorer’s table near the Lakers' bench. It appeared initially that Davis had injured his right ankle, immediately reaching down for it and re-lacing his sneakers, but the team said it was a back problem after halftime.

Davis played only nine minutes, scoring just four points.

It’s the latest injury for the Lakers, who were again even more short-handed than expected Thursday against the Clippers. Already without LeBron James and Dennis Schroder, the Lakers announced that Talen Horton-Tucker would be out with a calf strain.

All three players will miss Friday’s game against Portland. Davis’ status for the critical game against the Trail Blazers hasn’t been determined.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.