The Los Angeles Lakers posted a dominant victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night and immediately hit the ground running for their next game the next day against the Sacramento Kings.
Back-to-backs are a natural part of the NBA schedule that every team must face. However, back-to-backs have a greater impact on certain teams, and the Lakers are one of them. This is what happens when one of the stars is 38 years old and the other has a history of injuries.
LeBron James always hangs in the balance in the second round of back-to-back games. That’s even more in question after the Lakers released their injury report on Wednesday.
Will LeBron James play against the Kings tonight?
LeBron James missed one game against the Portland Trail Blazers and returned against the Grizzlies. This has nothing to do with his being placed on the injury report, as LeBron is officially listed as doubtful with a calf injury that will keep him out Sunday.
As of this writing, the Lakers have not announced whether they will participate in the game. However, the team’s inclusion on the injury report appears to be procedural. LeBron has played in back-to-back games this season and played just 23 minutes against the Grizzlies on Tuesday.
LeBron may not play in a back-to-back this way on Sunday, as the Lakers may not want him to play three games in four days. If LeBron misses one game, it’s Sunday against a very bad Portland team.
As of this writing, nothing is official yet, but fans should expect LeBron to play. Be sure to check back for updates.
Full injury report for Lakers vs. Kings:
Anthony Davis was also added to the injury report, but for much the same reason. Being AD and having already missed one game earlier this season, it stands to reason that he would at least be listed on the injury report.
Davis is listed as probable with a hip/groin injury that kept him out last week. Davis has looked absolutely fine in the past three games, and fans shouldn’t worry about him missing this game unless there’s some sort of last-second setback before kickoff.
Jalen Hood-Schifino, Gabe Vincent and Jared Vanderbilt all sat out. However, Vanderbilt did receive a promising injury update earlier this week.
Full injury report for Kings vs. Lakers:
De’Aaron Fox returned to the Kings on Monday after missing several weeks. Fox was not listed on the Kings’ injury report Wednesday, making him available to play against the Purple and Gold.
The only two players on the Kings injury report are Trey Lyles and Alex Len. Lyles is out with a calf injury, while Rein is out Monday with a sprained ankle.