Throngs of Los Angeles Lakers fans will be piling into the Crypto.com Arena in the hopes of witnessing LeBron James become the first NBA player to ever score 40,000 career points. The nine points needed to reach that immortal milestone are essentially guaranteed to come in a single game, likely by halftime. The only question was if they would come on Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets?
James' nagging ankle issue added some doubt to his availability for this Western Conference showdown. Anthony Davis joined him on the injury report.
Their status is obviously crucial, with LA focused on starting this demanding homestand (six-straight games against teams with winning records) with a victory over Nikola Jokic and Denver.
With history in grasp and the playoff push underway, the NBA world is eager to know if LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be playing tonight versus the Nuggets.
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Injury status for Lakers' LeBron James, Anthony Davis
James (ankle) and Davis (Achilles) are both available for the contest, according to ClutchPoints' Michael Corvo. The former was previously listed questionable and the latter deemed probable, but this good news was expected. James carried the same designation against the Washington Wizards on the second day of a back-to-back on Thursday and still played 39 minutes, so it was unlikely he was going to miss this marquee matchup.
Being forced to go into overtime versus one of the worst teams in the league before facing the reigning champions is not ideal, particularly for a 39-year-old, but he continues to logically defy what should be possible for a 21-year NBA vet. LeBron James has been available for much of this season, playing in 53 of 61 possible games. Furthermore, he is making the most out of his time on the court.
The four-time MVP carried the Lakers to a huge comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers and boosted them past the Wizards the next night in OT. Now that he is definitely suiting up, a leaguewide celebration might not be the only notable headline from this game.
Anthony Davis' presence will be huge for LA versus a banged-up Nuggets squad. He is coming off a monster performance (40 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks) and has been a powerhouse throughout this season.
Although the Lakers are in a difficult spot in the standings (33-28, 10th place), the 30-year-old's excellence and durability deserves more attention. Saturday might not be when he gets it, though, as LeBron James will be front and center.
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