Thursday night's NBA matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets will likely be played without some of the best players from each team, including LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.

According to a report from ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Russell Westbrook is still listed as questionable for Thursday's game with a right quad contusion. Brodie could still play, but a source tells ESPN that the Rockets are anticipating that he will sit out of this NBA game.

Losing Westbrook for any amount of time is a tough pill to swallow for the Rockets, who are currently holding the 6th seed in the NBA Western Conference standings. The former No. 4 overall pick has made 56 appearances this season, racking up averages of 27.4 points on 47.2 percent shooting from the field (25.4 percent from beyond the arc), 8.0 rebounds and 7.1 assists.

If Westbrook is indeed ruled out for Thursday's game against the Lakers, look for Austin Rivers to get a bit more playing time.

Article Continues Below
More Los Angeles Lakers News
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left) defends against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (right) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center.
Nick Wright drops the mic on LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry debateScotty White ·
Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena
Luka Doncic reveals initial thought on living in LA after Lakers tradeJosue Pavon ·
Cooper Flagg talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago.
Lakers set first Cooper Flagg, Mavericks matchup in Las VegasMalik Brown ·
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) moves the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Crypto.com Arena.
Lakers Luka Doncic’s sends ‘speed’ message that will scare rest of NBANathan Yasis ·
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) smiles after his team scored against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center.
LeBron James’ former teammate provides eye-opening take on GOAT debateAlex House ·
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James warms up before the start of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center.
Lakers’ LeBron James doesn’t hold back on clout-chasing trainersRichard Pereira ·

In LeBron's case, it's a groin issue. ESPN NBA reporter Dave McMenamin sent out a tweet on Thursday morning that listed The King as “out” for Thursday night's game. In fact, several Los Angeles players are dealing with some sort of ailment:

Without a doubt, the Lakers will miss LeBron on the court. He's mostly been focusing on facilitating early in games. Let's see how the team adjusts without his ball distribution. Los Angeles has already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Thursday night's NBA matchup between the Lakers and Rockets is set to tip inside the Orlando bubble at 9:00 p.m. ET. TNT will have live broadcast coverage.