Lakers News: Major Absences For Probable Schedule Loss Vs. Raptors
Your Los Angeles Lakers will be missing three starters tonight, when they square off against a feisty Toronto Raptors club on the road, starting at 4:30 p.m. PT.
Per the league's latest injury report, All-Stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James will be sidelined for this second game of a back-to-back set. Davis, who departed last night's Cavaliers loss late in the first quarter with a flu-like, non-COVID-19 illness, continues to deal with that. James, who in his 20th NBA season playing his minutes load should never play both games in a back-to-back again, is listed as having a sore left ankle.
Though the injury report lists ineffective starting point guard Patrick Beverley as doubtful, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reveals that the 34-year-old vet is in fact out with a sore right knee. As has become a recurrent refrain on All Lakers, the absence of Beverley may actually be a plus, because he is just that bad offensively these days. L.A. had hoped to acquire a stopgap starting 3-and-D point guard when it traded for him this summer, in anticipation of a possible future Russell Westbrook trade, but Beverley's fit has been so poor now he has become the latest heinous contract his team would love to flip.
Reserve power forward/center Wenyen Gabriel will miss at least the rest of L.A.'s six-game road trip with a left shoulder sprain.
Two-way players Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider remain with the Lakers' NBAGL affiliate in El Segundo, the South Bay Lakers. Their fellow rookie, shooting guard Max Christie, is not on the injury report. He had spent yesterday's game with South Bay, so perhaps with all these absences he will be able to get some rotation minutes again.
On the Raptors side, key reserves Precious Achiuwa (right ankle sprain), Otto Porter Jr. (dislocated toe), and Juancho "Bo Cruz" Hernangomez (right ankle sprain) are all set to miss tonight's matchup.
The game tips off a bit early, 4:30 p.m. PT on Spectrum SportsNet.
