Things won't be getting any easier for the Los Angeles Lakers thanks to Kyle Kuzma's ankle injury:

Kuzma suffered a sprained ankle in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' crushing 113-105 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers now find themselves 5.5 games out of the eighth seed and need to put together some wins immediately. Beating the second-seeded Denver Nuggets will be a tall order, especially without Kuzma.

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It's unclear just how long Kuzma will be out. The Lakers don't play again after the Nuggets game until Saturday against the Boston Celtics. If this injury isn't too serious, there's a strong chance that having four full days of rest should be enough for Kuzma to return. This long layoff between games could be perfect timing as it helps him get healthy once again, but time is running out on Los Angeles.

A lot of drama has surrounded the Lakers this season. That tends to happen wherever James is simply because he's one of the greatest to ever play the sport. However, that drama has perhaps made people focus on the wrong reasons for the struggles of Los Angeles this season.

The Lakers have dealt with a lot of injuries this season. LeBron James and Rajon Rondo both missed hefty time. Lonzo Ball is still in the midst of a lengthy absence. It's now Kuzma's turn to sit out, but the hope is he won't be out long. They could really use him back.