Lakers: Carmelo Anthony Out Tonight With Lower Back Stiffness

Carmelo will miss his first game of the season tonight against Sacramento.

The Lakers will be missing a key bench player for tonight’s game in Sacramento. Forward Carmelo Anthony is out with lower back tightness. According to reports, Melo woke up with his back not quite feeling 100%.

Carmelo, along with Russell Westbrook, are the only two Lakers to appear in every game this year. It’s impressive stat considering how many Lakers players have missed time due to injury and COVID protocols.

In his three games against the Kings, Carmelo is shooting 50% from the field and averaging 12.7 points per game. Per Basketball Reference, Carmelo owns a combined plus-minus rating of 18.3 against Sacramento. 

The Lakers won 122-114 the last time the two teams met. However, the Lakers (21-20) can ill afford to overlook the lowly Kings (16-27). Sacramento won a triple-overtime thriller in late-November 141-137.

After tonight’s game, the Lakers will finish their short road trip in Denver. The Nuggets are half a game ahead of the Lakers entering play tonight.