Is Anthony Davis playing tonight against the Toronto Raptors? Latest on Lakers superstar's status (Nov. 1)   

Anthony Davis made his intentions clear that he wanted to play on Friday (Nov. 1) against the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena. The LA Lakers are in the middle of a five-game road trip and are 0-2 in their first away stretch of the season. Davis was active for both games and despite a slew of minor injuries so far, the LA star has maintained that he wants to suit up at every possible opportunity.

Davis is expected to play despite a "jammed" hip he struggled with during the team's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, he seemed optimistic about playing in the next fixture. He was part of LA's updated injury report where he was listed as probable. Barring any last-minute change, Davis is pretty much certainly to take on the short-handed Raptors.

Barring the big, the other names in the IR include D'Angelo Russell (lower back soreness) listed as probable. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) and Christian Wood (knee) are constants as they continue to ramp up their recovery after undergoing surgeries earlier.

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Anthony Davis laments "god awful" Lakers performance in blowout loss against the Cavaliers

Anthony Davis did not hold back when he lambasted the LA Lakers torrid performance in their 134-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week. After dropping the contest 109-105 against the Phoenix Suns, the Purple and Gold later struggled against a clinical Cavs unit where even Davis' 22-point double-double coupled with 13 rebounds couldn't lift LA.

Their offense sputtered and their defense was a no-show — both of which the center rued in the aftermath of the defeat. Looking visibly dejected, Davis spoke of the team's regression — a sentiment that was later seconded by head coach JJ Redick.

"This is the first game where we regressed and we were god awful offensively"

Despite the losses, Davis has been one of the consistent performers for the Lakers. In the five games so far, the big has showcased his dominance, averaging 30.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.0 blocks in 36.0 minutes per game. He has been one of the early names in MVP contention.

The Purple and Gold will need him to be a force and stay healthy if they intend to keep their playoff aspirations alive. Should Anthony Davis play all five games of the road trip, the Lakers have a chance to finish with a 3-2 record and maintain their standings in a stacked Western Conference.