After getting off to a strong start on their six-game road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers want to continue that momentum heading into the postseason. The next stop on their road trip is against the Indiana Pacers, whom the Lakers have defeated twice already this year. But whether they will have LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) and Anthony Davis (left knee hyperextension) is unclear.
The Lakers listed James as questionable for the Friday night contest with his ongoing ankle issue. LeBron sat out of Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks but was on the floor Wednesday and is looking to do his part to keep the Lakers’ momentum going.
Davis tweaked his knee in the Lakers double overtime win over the Bucks and while he played through the pain that night, he was held out of Wednesday’s game in Memphis. Davis is the engine of this Lakers’ defense and the team can not afford to lose him for any extended period of time.
Meanwhile, both Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt remain out for the game, though the Lakers got some good news regarding Vincent. The guard is expected to be available for Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, which would be his first game since December. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, has yet to be cleared for any contact drills, but has begun running.
The Lakers have won five straight including the first two games of this six-game road trip. The team is finally beginning to gel and come together at the right time, but getting healthy remains the top priority overall for this team. As it stands right now, the Lakers still aren’t quite 100% healthy, but they are inching closer which is dangerous for the rest of the league.
Taurean Prince believes Lakers are dangerous regardless of who is in the lineup
Something else the Lakers have shown recently is the ability to win games when one or both of their superstars sits out. LeBron missed Tuesday’s win while Davis sat out on Wednesday when the Lakers won their fifth straight.
Veteran wing Taurean Prince pointed to the team’s aggression and decisiveness as reasons for the Lakers’ great play as of late while also praising the roster as a whole. Prince noted that he believes the team is still dangerous regardless of who sits out and being able to play and thrive with LeBron or Davis out just instills more confidence in those role players when the two superstars are back on the court.
