After missing two games in a row due to a back injury, Los Angeles Lakers second-year small forward Kyle Kuzma will play on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Kyle Kuzma suffered the back injury last Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center. An MRI showed Kuzma had a contusion in his back.
Kyle Kuzma (back) will return tonight for the #Lakers when they take on the #Mavs on the road. #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 8, 2019
The Lakers are currently on a three-game losing streak and coming off two bad losses, one to the lowly New York Knicks at home and the other to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road. The Purple and Gold lost to Minnesota by a whopping 22 points on Sunday.
The return of Kuzma to the lineup is big considering superstar small forward LeBron James and veteran point guard Rajon Rondo are still out with separate injuries. James is still recovering from a groin strain he suffered on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors, while Rondo is recovering from right hand surgery.
Kuzma is averaging 18.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season. The athletic swingman is shooting 47.2 percent from the floor, 30.2 percent from beyond the arc and 78.0 percent from the free-throw line. He is the second-leading scorer on the Lakers, trailing only LeBron (27.3).
LA needs this game versus the Mavs. They are slipping in the standings out West and no one knows when James is going to come back.
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