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Anthony Davis is available to play for Lakers today against Celtics

The Lakers' Anthony Davis is guarded by the Clippers' Paul George on Dec. 25 at Staples Center.
(Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images)
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The Lakers announced that Anthony Davis will be available to play Monday against the Boston Celtics, marking his return after missing five games with a bruise on his buttocks.

The Celtics will also be close to full strength. Kemba Walker, who missed their Saturday loss to the Phoenix Suns with a knee injury, will be available to play, as will Jaylen Brown, who missed two games with a thumb injury.

Davis suffered the injury on Jan. 7 against the New York Knicks, after a collision with Knicks forward Julius Randle.

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“It was very painful,” Davis told reporters a week after the injury. “Hard for me to walk obviously. It was pretty tough for me to just roll over on my back and on my side at the initial point of contact. It was tough. I didn’t want any speculation, but I was just praying that it wasn’t anything too serious.”

Kyle Kuzma was once thought of as an offense first guard, but he’s proven to his Lakers teammates he can be just as effective on the defensive end of the floor.

Without Davis, the Lakers have played well. They went 4-1, beating the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets. Three of their four wins were on the road. Their lone loss came to the Orlando Magic at home.

The Lakers are still listing Rajon Rondo as questionable with an avulsion fracture on his right ring finger. Rondo suffered the injury on Jan. 11 and has not played since then.

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The Lakers will face the Celtics at 4:30 p.m., in the second game of their five-game trip. After Boston, they will travel to New York for a back-to-back against the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.

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