The Los Angeles Lakers were not able to get past the Indiana Pacers in their last outing, which brought their five-game winning streak to an end. While they are still two and a half games ahead of the Warriors in the West, they need to win more games to get to the 8th spot to give themselves a favorable position ahead of the play-in games. However, their next matchup against the Brooklyn Nets poses another problem. LeBron James has been added to the injury list ahead of the contest.
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As per the official injury report of the league, the Los Angeles Lakers have listed LeBron James as ‘questionable’ for the matchup tonight at Barclays Center, due to his ‘left ankle Peroneal Tendinopathy’. The King’s inclusion will be a game-time decision.
LeBron James has been dealing with issues in his left ankle for most of the season. However, his status for the team’s games has mostly been categorized as ‘probable’. And even though he has suited up for many games with a ‘questionable’ status, it is uncertain whether LBJ will be available tonight or not.
At 39 years of age, LeBron is still leading the Lakers in scoring, assists, and steals. James has been averaging 25.2 points, 8.1 assists, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. If James’ ‘questionable’ availability wasn’t enough to alarm Lakers fans, Anthony Davis’ status for the Nets game is deemed questionable as well due to hyperextension in his left knee. This means both James and Davis might sit out for the matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Los Angeles Lakers currently have a 44-33 record in the West, placing them in the ninth spot in the Western Conference. While the team is still two and a half games ahead of the Golden State Warriors, losing to the Nets may end up closing down that margin.
The Lakers vs Nets matchup
The Brooklyn Nets aren’t a team that most franchises in the league have been worried about this season. Yet, the squad does feature a few players who can light up opposing teams on any given night. The Nets currently have a 29-45 record in the East, placing them in the 11th spot in their conference. The team is also on a three-game winning streak, looking to extend it to four with a win over the Lakers.
While this win may not affect the Nets’ chances of making the play-in, it surely will hurt the Lakers’ chances going forward. And with the way the West has been playing out lately, you can be sure that some teams are still trying to make it to the play-in, in the hopes of clenching a spot in the playoffs.
However, the Lakers have fared well without LeBron in the lineup this season. So LA fans will be hopeful for a win against the struggling Nets. Tune into SportsNet LA at 6:00 PM ET to see the Brooklyn Nets host the Los Angeles Lakers.
