The Los Angeles Lakers haven't given up hope of rising up the Western Conference standings over the last two weeks of the regular season. While achieving that task would be difficult in a vacuum, it could be close to impossible if the Lakers' superstars miss any of their team's remaining games.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both listed as questionable to play in Friday's matchup with the Indiana Pacers, according to Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints. The former is dealing with peroneal tendinopathy in his left ankle, while the latter is managing a hyperextended left knee.
James' status comes as no surprise. He's been listed as questionable due to left ankle issues for the vast majority of 2023-24, the Lakers taking an ultra-cautious approach to the 39-year-old's lingering discomfort that dates back multiple seasons. James didn't play in Los Angeles' thrilling double-overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, evidence of his ‘strategic' approach to playing versus resting as the postseason dawns.
“Just be very strategic. Obviously, understanding and seeing how my ankle and my foot is feeling. But just being very smart about it, obviously,” James said of his game-by-game status, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. “We are where we are, but our health has always been the most important for our ballclub. Not just one individual. But for me looking out for myself when it comes to injury and knowing my foot and knowing my ankle and how it reacts, and how it's been over the last couple of years, it's just always keeping a hefty eye on it.”
Davis, meanwhile, missed the Lakers' win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday—for which James returned, dropping a triple-double of 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists—after tweaking his left knee 24 hours earlier in Milwaukee. He helped close out the Bucks with one of his most dominant games of the season, but was clearly favoring his knee at times throughout the contest. Los Angeles initially listed Davis as questionable versus Memphis before ruling him out.
Lakers' current place in standings
The purple-and-gold will enter Friday's action in ninth-pace, a game-and-a-half behind the Sacramento Kings and two-and-a-half games up on the Golden State Warriors in 10th. Sacramento swept the season series against the Lakers, though, meaning Darvin Ham's team will have to surpass the Kings in wins to jump ahead of them in the standings.
A do-or-die play-in tournament battle with Stephen Curry and the Warriors has seemed close to inevitable for the past couple weeks. Los Angeles will host the second play-in game if it enters the postseason in ninth, but there's also a chance Golden State's season could end at the conclusion of the 82-game grind.
The Houston Rockets have won a whopping 10 games in a row, suddenly just a game behind the Dubs for the final play-in spot. Though Golden State has already won the tiebreaker over the Rockets, a massive battle between the teams at Toyota Center on April 4th will go a long way toward deciding the Lakers' likely initial postseason foe.
Los Angeles and Indiana are set to tipoff from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at 4:00 p.m. (PT).
Follow Us
Subscribe