The third meeting of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2023-24 NBA season will be missing one big element — LeBron James.

The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player has been ruled out of the Tuesday night game due to a lower-body injury (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy).

James' absence will definitely be felt by the Lakers. He's been the Lakers' leading scorer versus the Clippers this season, having scored a total of 60 points on 63.2 percent shooting from the field and 45.5 percent shooting from behind the arc in those two victories against the Purple & Gold's Pacific division rivals.

With LeBron James out for the Clippers game, there should be an increased load on Anthony Davis, though, that also depends on whether the Lakers big man will eventually get cleared to play. In any case, expect the likes of Taurean Prince and Rui Hachimura to see expanded roles on the floor this Tuesday for the Lakers, who are coming off a 134-110 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at home last Sunday. Against the Blazers, James had 28 points, five assists, and five rebounds in 31 minutes of floor duty.

The Lakers are starting to gain momentum again, as they have gone 3-1 in their last four outings, but they will have to find a away to get past one of the best teams in the league right now minus their future Hall of Famer leader.

The soonest James can return to action for the Lakers will be on Thursday when they host the Chicago Bulls before traveling for a six-game road trip that begins on Saturday versus the Golden State Warriors.