While the Lakers are currently on a roll, having won seven straight games after downing the Rockets on Wednesday, earning that eighth victory might be their toughest challenge yet.
The team is set to play on the second night of their back-to-back, and they have their three stars, Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, all listed as questionable.
Everything about Thursday’s game screams schedule loss. The tip-off time for the game is 22.5 hours after the Lakers and Rockets started their game on Wednesday. To add to that, the team arrived at the airport after 5 a.m. in Miami on Thursday, roughly 15 hours before the start of the contest.
When you also consider the fact that the Lakers’ star trio all played at least 34 minutes on Wednesday, it’s no surprise they are questionable for Thursday’s game.
Luka’s absence would be the biggest blow not just for the Lakers but also for his end-of-season awards eligibility.
Currently, Dončić has missed 12 games and can only miss five more and remain eligible. With just 13 games left in the season though, it’s unlikely that will become a factor.
LeBron and Reaves are both out of the running for any NBA awards, so it’s all about maintaining their health. James has been dealing with his left foot arthritis all year long, but Reaves’ right forearm contusion is a new injury. Given that he hasn’t missed any games from this ailment, it’s likely nothing for Lakers fans to be worried about.
Regardless, if any of the big three miss, it will make winning against Miami that much harder. The Heat are a pesky try-hard team and fighting for their spot in the postseason, so don’t expect them to take this game lightly.
Hopefully, enough key players on the Lakers can suit up and LA can avoid this scheduled loss.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
