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The LA Lakers are set to welcome a couple of familiar faces on Friday night when they take on the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers are coming off an overtime loss to the Houston Rockets, while the Wizards were defeated by the LA Clippers last Wednesday.
With the regular season in its final stretch, the Lakers reached a new low in their 139-130 loss to the Rockets in overtime. Houston had the worst record in the league at the time, but the Lakers managed to allow 19 points in overtime. LeBron James had a triple-double, but shot the ball poorly.
Meanwhile, the Wizards came up short against the Clippers last Wednesday, 115-109. They had the lead in the fourth quarter, but were unable to make some stops down the stretch. Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will play their first game against the Lakers since being traded in the offseason for Russell Westbrook.
Washington Wizards Injury Report
The Wizards have four players listed on their injury report for Friday's matchup against the Lakers. All four players listed are out, but only one is recovering from injury. Bradley Beal will miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing surgery to repair a left wrist injury.
On the other hand, Vernon Carey Jr., Jordan Schakel and Cassius Winston are all on assignment in the NBA G League. Carey Jr. is on a standard contract, while Schakel and Winston are signed to two-way deals.
LA Lakers Injury Report
The Lakers have six players on their injury list for the game against the Wizards. Three players are listed as out, two are questionable and one is probable. Anthony Davis, Mason Jones and Kendrick Nunn are all listed as out, with Jones on assignment at the NBA G League.
Davis is still recovering from a right foot sprain, while Nunn is yet to make his debut for the Lakers due to a right knee bone bruise. Malik Monk is listed as probable as he is suffering from a sore right shoulder. Despite the injury, Monk is more than likely to play against the Wizards.
Finally, LeBron James and Talen Horton-Tucker are listed as questionable. James has been dealing with a sore left knee, while Horton-Tucker is dealing with a left ankle sprain. James, who played 45 minutes last Wednesday, could possibly suit up.
Washington Wizards vs LA Lakers: Predicted Lineups
Washington Wizards
The Wizards are not expected to make any changes to their starting lineup against the Lakers. Raul Neto remains the starting point guard, while Corey Kispert fills in for the injured Bradley Beal.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma, former Lakers players, have a good partnership in both forward positions. The newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis is finally healthy and will start at center. The remaining Wizards rotation players include Rui Hachimura, Tomas Satoransky, Daniel Gafford, Deni Avdija and Ish Smith.
LA Lakers
The Lakers have used many different starting lineups throughout the season due to injuries. They are expected to start LeBron James at center against the Wizards, while Austin Reaves and Stanley Johnson complete their frontcourt.
Russell Westbrook is at point guard, facing his former team, with Malik Monk completing the starting lineup at shooting guard. The Lakers' bench corps is headed by Carmelo Anthony, with D.J. Augustin, Avery Bradley and Kent Bazemore expected to get a few minutes.
Washington Wizards vs LA Lakers: Starting 5s
Washington Wizards
Point Guard - Raul Neto | Shooting Guard - Corey Kispert | Small Forward - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Power Forward - Kyle Kuzma | Center - Kristaps Porzingis
LA Lakers
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook | Shooting Guard - Malik Monk | Small Forward - Austin Reaves | Power Forward - Stanley Johnson | Center - LeBron James
