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NBA superstar LeBron James is still on the LA Lakers’ injury report due to left ankle soreness. He sat out in the Lakers’ 130-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns last Monday.
LA was probably just trying to manage the four-time NBA MVP’s minutes as the Suns’ matchup was on the second night of a back-to-back set. James played a team-high 37 minutes in a thrilling overtime victory over the Washington Wizards before facing Phoenix on the road.
LeBron James has now missed eight of the LA Lakers’ 30 games but should be expected to play tonight versus the Sacramento Kings. Darvin Ham has returned to the old strategy of putting the team’s offense on James’ back as Anthony Davis is out with a foot injury.
Until AD returns from injury, the 18x NBA All-Star will once more lead the charge of the Lakers. He is averaging 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.2 steals this season.
Meanwhile, James’ teammate, Russell Westbrook has been listed as questionable tonight against the Kings due to left foot soreness. The former NBA MVP also didn’t play in the Suns’ game for the same reason and could miss another one.
“Brodie” has missed only two games this season but could be sidelined for the third time. He is averaging 14.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.2 steals. Westbrook has turned his season around and has become one of the leading contenders for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Kendrick Nunn, Scotty Pippen Jr., Max Christie and Dennis Schroder all saw their minutes go up as Westbrook, LeBron James and Austin Reaves were out. Nunn could still see more time even if James and Reaves return while Westbrook remains out.
The LA Lakers have a 13-17 record for 12th place in the very competitive Western Conference. They can’t afford to slip further down the standings while waiting for Anthony Davis to be healthy again.
Paul George: Left knee soreness; Injured since December 14, 2022
Paul George’s status with the LA Clippers still hasn’t changed. He is still listed as questionable when the Clippers host the Charlotte Hornets tonight due to left knee soreness.
The seven-time NBA All-Star sat out the last two games but could return to action tonight as he practiced last Tuesday. If he misses his third straight game, he could rejoin the team on Friday when the Clippers start a five-game road swing in the Eastern Conference.
George is averaging 23.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 22 games. Should “PG13” continue to be sidelined, Nic Batum should start again for head coach Ty Lue.
Domantas Sabonis: Left-hand soreness; Injured since December 19, 2022
Former All-Star Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings is questionable against the LA Lakers. He is reportedly dealing with left-hand soreness, which could cause him to miss his first game of the season.
“Domas” likely suffered the injury in the Kings’ 125-119 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Sabonis played a game-high 41 minutes and logged a monster double-double. He finished the night with 28 points, 23 rebounds and seven assists.
Trey Lyles, Neemias Queta and Chimezie Metu are all candidates for Sabonis’ starting role if he is sidelined.
