All of a sudden, the Lakers’ upcoming contest against the Pacers looks like a much tougher game. Los Angeles is playing on the second night of a back-to-back and will be playing without LeBron James, Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber.
The trio was ruled out on Friday afternoon, and the Lakers will now have to find a way to win without two of their starting players.
While Maxi Kleber
has missed the past two games with this back injury, James and Ayton are new additions to the injury report.
Ayton exited LA’s game against the Nuggets with a knee injury after playing for just five minutes. Considering that the Lakers are playing the day after he got hurt, it’s no surprise he will be unavailable.
While Ayton has been struggling as of late, he’s been an important player for the Lakers. Ayton is averaging 12.6. points and 8.2 rebounds per game while starting in all 54 games he’s played in.
LeBron also got injured playing against the Nuggets.
He fell in the fourth quarter, hurting his elbow in the process. James was able to complete the game, but said it felt “pretty sore” during his postgame media availability. Now, he’s officially been ruled out with a left elbow contusion.
LeBron’s value cannot be overstated. He continues to be one of the team’s best offensive producers, averaging 21.4 points on 50% shooting.
LA lost to Denver, which was painful enough, but now having to play without Ayton and LeBron will only make things that much harder for the team as they look to get back in the win column.
Luckily, even though the Lakers will be shorthanded, they should still be able to beat the Pacers. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are healthy and should be able to step up in this situation, generating enough offense to overwhelm the Pacers.
Indiana has the second-worst record in the NBA and has lost seven straight games. Considering that the Lakers are fighting for a playoff spot and the Pacers are tanking even with this game getting harder to win, LA can’t afford to lose.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
