The Los Angeles Lakers may have defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-102 last night, but the win came at a massive cost for them. Speaking after the game, both LeBron James and Luka Doncic revealed that they picked up a hamstring tweak and a knee-to-knee shot against the Timberwolves.
LeBron James: “I’m good, we’ll see how I feel when I get up, but as far as hamstring, I’m straight.”
Dan Woike (Lakers Reporter): “Luka Doncic said it’s ‘questionable’ whether or not he plays tomorrow against Clippers. Said he took a knee-to-knee shot, but that wasn’t anything to worry about. Said it “happens every game.”
It appears that neither player is too worried about their long-term health, but might err on the side of caution tonight as the Los Angeles Lakers play the L.A. Clippers. Playing without their two best players against one of the toughest defensive teams in the NBA will be a challenge for the Lakers. But it appears those two aren’t the only players who could miss the game tomorrow night.
Speaking during his post-game press conference, JJ Redick revealed that Rui Hachimura suffered a left knee strain. He added that the team will find out more information about the extent of his injury will only be understood once the team has run tests. After losing one of their best players, all Redick could do was hope that it was not a serious injury that would keep him out for long.
“It’s a left knee strain. Obviously, we’ll get more information over the next 24 hours… I’m concerned when any guy goes down, in particular one of our best players, and a guy who has been so important to what we’ve done this year. I’m not going to speculate on the severity of the injury. I’m hopeful that it’s nothing serious…”
A left knee strain typically takes 1-2 weeks to heal if it is a mild strain, whereas a moderate strain can take 3-4 weeks. The Lakers will hope that Hachimura hasn’t suffered a severe strain, which can take up to three months to recover from. A three-month absence would effectively end Hachimura’s regular season and force him to miss a segment of the NBA playoffs.
Hachimura has become a reliable starter for the Lakers this season, averaging 13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 50.6% from the field, 41.0% from beyond the arc, and 76.5% from the free-throw line.
Losing a player like him, who has been such an effective contributor for the Lakers this season, is going to be a major blow. Hopefully, the Lakers don’t have to play without him for too long, and he can make a speedy recovery.
In his absence, the Lakers might pivot to a small-ball lineup with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dorian Finney-Smith, and LeBron James playing center. James has played the position before and done quite well at the spot. He could help fill the gap while Hachimura recovers.
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