Following a crushing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to get back on track to close out the NBA regular season. The good news is, they’ll be mostly healthy for tonight’s showdown against the Dallas Mavericks, and they’ll need all hands on deck to escape with the win in hostile territory at the American Airlines Center.
The latest injury report includes only three players; just one has been ruled out for the contest: veteran big man Maxi Kleber, who is still in recovery from his right foot surgery. It remains to be seen when he’ll debut for the Lakers, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely that he’ll be cleared before the first round begins later this month.
Bronny James Jr. is listed as questionable with an illness, but he’s not yet a major part of the team’s rotation. The 55th overall pick has been splitting his time with the G-League, but he’s been getting some NBA reps all season with averages of 2.3 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game on 34.0% shooting in 24 games.
The big concern for the Lakers tonight is the availability of Jaxson Hayes. He’s typically a backup center, but he’s been playing on the frontlines ever since the Luka Doncic trade. After the Lakers rescinded their deal for Mark Williams, Hayes has been the default option in the frontcourt, and he’s the only natural center left on the roster other than Alex Len and Christian Koloko.
Hayes is having a modest season, but his presence has been huge for the Lakers in terms of rebounding and interior defense. If he’s compromised tonight (or is a last-minute scratch), it’ll make the Lakers vulnerable in the frontcourt against one of the best big men in the league (Anthony Davis).
With just a few games to go before the playoffs, the Lakers might have otherwise been resting their stars in preparation for the postseason grind. With three other teams on their tail, however, the Lakers have no room for error in these final three games.
After the loss against Oklahoma City last night, the Lakers need this win against Dallas, which is why every healthy Lakers player is expected to suit up and play.
With two more games against the Rockets and Trail Blazers, the season is not yet over for Los Angeles, and they cannot afford to let up now. The hope among Lakers fans is that having their team at full strength will be enough to win out the remainder of the season and hold their current place in the standings.
Regardless, the Lakers will be in the postseason in some capacity, and it’s more important now than ever for the team to find some common ground on the court before the real fight begins
Having everyone healthy will be huge for their success, but as long as LeBron James and Luka Doncic are available, the Lakers have a chance to beat any opponent. In a few months together, Doncic and James have made amazing progress, and they will try everything to keep the momentum going for as long as they can.
