Pacific Division Roundup: Hachimura’s Return, Doncic Status, Harden Moves Up All-Time List
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Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura missed his seventh consecutive game on Monday after head coach JJ Redick chose to hold him out of the first half of a back-to-back, opting instead to use the forward on Tuesday against Atlanta, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The Lakers fell to Sacramento without Hachimura, allowing the Kings to hit 17 of 26 three-point attempts. Luka Doncic scored 42 points but required treatment throughout the night for left groin soreness. “I was really uncertain (about playing),” Doncic said postgame. “Before the game, like warming up, I felt something.”
Doncic and LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) are both listed as questionable for Tuesday, per Marc Stein. They could join Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring soreness) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) on the inactive list. “Obviously we’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now,” James said Monday. “So, we’re just trying to weather the storm.”
Harden Passes O’Neal
James Harden moved into ninth place on the NBA’s career scoring list Monday, surpassing Shaquille O’Neal’s 28,596 points. “Shaquille O’Neal, somebody that I literally grew up watching here in L.A.,” Harden told the Associated Press. “It’s a true honor, it’s a testament to the work that I put in.”
Suns Injury Updates
Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Jamaree Bouyea (concussion protocol) are expected to return at some point during Phoenix’s six-game road trip that starts Tuesday, head coach Jordan Ott said, via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Green has been sidelined since November 8; Bouyea has missed the past four contests.
Second-year center Oso Ighodaro continues to draw praise from Ott for his versatility. Phoenix owns a +7.5 net rating when Ighodaro plays compared with −1.2 when he sits. “I’m definitely being asked to do a little bit more this year,” Ighodaro told R.org. “I’m trying to do all that while maintaining all the effort and intensity.”
Warriors Lineup Scrutiny
Following Sunday’s defeat to Atlanta, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area described the Golden State Warriors roster as “profoundly defective” because of limited length and athleticism. Colleague Dalton Johnson questioned whether head coach Steve Kerr should keep starting Moses Moody and Quinten Post alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. That unit has opened 13 of the past 14 games and holds a −3.3 net rating this season.
Source: Hoops Rumors
