Lakers rule LeBron James out against Thunder, intensifying injury concerns
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The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night without LeBron James, who was downgraded to out because of left foot injury management, the team announced Monday.
James joins fellow stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on the sidelines; both guards are already shut down for the remainder of the regular season and are doubtful for the opening round of the playoffs. Guard Marcus Smart was also ruled out Monday, leaving Los Angeles without its four primary playmakers for the rematch at Crypto.com Arena.
Standings context
The shorthanded Lakers are battling the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Los Angeles owns the head-to-head tiebreaker and entered Tuesday tied with Denver in the loss column. A defeat to Oklahoma City would likely drop the Lakers one game back with three contests remaining.
Oklahoma City, 62-16 with four games left, is still working to clinch the conference’s top spot. The Thunder need either one San Antonio Spurs loss or two more victories of their own to secure the No. 1 seed; San Antonio trails by three games in the loss column and holds the tiebreaker.
Upcoming schedules
After Tuesday, Los Angeles finishes the regular season against the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz. James is expected to return for that stretch, while Doncic and Reaves remain out. Denver closes with the Memphis Grizzlies, Thunder and Spurs.
James reacts to injuries
Speaking over the weekend, James called the news of Doncic’s injury “a shot to the heart, chest and mainframe.” He said he took a nap, then woke up to learn of Reaves’ setback, describing it as “a shot to the head.” With both guards unavailable, the four-time MVP becomes the Lakers’ focal point heading into the postseason.
Source: Lakers Nation
