Los Angeles Lakers forward Markieff Morris was thrown out on Thursday’s game versus the Miami Heat after garnering two technical fouls. Morris left the game with 12 points and three rebounds in 34 minutes of action in Thursday's loss. This marks the Lakers' sixth loss without their superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. 

In Morris’ defense, he has stepped up for the Lakers this season in the absence of James and Davis. He’s provided scoring, defense and has started multiple times for the defending champions. Ironically, Morris along with Wesley Matthews were out of the rotation early this season but both have managed to find their way back. Morris and Matthews have contributed to the four wins the Lakers have gotten without their superstars. 

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Moreover, if there’s one thing the Lakers can smile about after losing to the Heat, it’s that they played their heart out. Sure, that’s what they’re supposed to do, but given their circumstance, they were able to hang around with a healthy Heat team throughout the game. Once Davis, James and Kuzma (who was a late scratch for Thursday’s game) get back in the rotation with Morris and the rest, the Lakers will be tough to beat. 

As for now, the Lakers just need to get as many wins as they can to stay in the hunt for homecourt advantage. There’s no clear timetable yet on when their superstars will be back, but at least for now they’ve won four games without them—keeping them right at fifth in the competitive Western Conference standings.