The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to bounce back after a controversial loss. LeBron James' squad needed all the firepower they could get to face the New Orleans Pelicans but that does not look to be the case. Darvin Ham was faced with a grimacing Rui Hachimura and had to err on the side of caution.

Rui Hachimura will no longer be back in the Lakers' match against the Pelicans. He suffered a strain on his left calf which prompted the team to list him as out on the injury report, via Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet.

The Lakers' starting small forward only played eight minutes. He was productive for the team and did all that he could before going down. This netted him four points and an assist in what could have been a great show of offensive artillery. Hachimura also grabbed a rebound to round out his performance.

So far, the Lakers are still trying to get back into striking distance as they are down by a 16-point deficit. Darvin Ham is giving LeBron James free reign over the offense and it is looking good for The King. Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince, and Max Christie are stepping up to chase this huge lead.

James is clearly playing with a chip on his shoulder after the birthday gift handed to him by Tony Brothers. He currently leads all scorers in this Pelicans-Lakers matchup in scoring with his 34 points. A comeback could still be in store before the final buzzer sounds.