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The Los Angeles Lakers have received a critical injury update ahead of their rematch with the Chicago Bulls on March 29.
The purple and gold are listing D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis as probable and LeBron James as questionable.
Russell has missed the last two games with a hip injury. He’s averaging 18.6 points and 6.4 assists in 11 games with the Lakers since being acquired at the trade deadline while shooting 47.1% from the field, 39.5% from beyond the arc and 81.6% from the free-throw line.
James made his return to the lineup on March 26 versus the Bulls in Los Angeles after missing a month with a right foot tendon injury. The King finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and five turnovers in 29 minutes. James shot 6-of-11 overall and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.
“Obviously, the rhythm is the most important,” James said after the Lakers lost to the Bulls. “I had a couple of drives and the ball got away from me. A couple of shots didn’t feel as good as before, obviously. But I was out for four weeks, so between that and the wind, just trying to get those things back leading to the final stretch of the season.”
If James plays against the Bulls in Chicago, the Lakers will likely start Russell, Austin Reaves, James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Davis.
Anthony Davis on LeBron James: ‘It Was Great to See Him Back Out There’
James and Davis will need to play like superstars for the Lakers to make the play-in tournament. Los Angeles is in ninth place in the Western Conference standings. After the Bulls game in Los Angeles, Davis talked about what he and James need to do moving forward.
“I mean, it’s not a two-man show,” Davis said. “We got other guys who make our jobs easier. When guys are making shots, and we’re playing off fastbreak points and not taking the ball off the net the entire time, then we’re able to flourish. Both of us. So just come out and just be LeBron James and Anthony Davis. All the other guys are going to be themselves. Don’t overthink it. Don’t put too much pressure on ourselves. Just come out and play basketball. … You could see him getting his rhythm, his timing, his finishes, all of that. He’s going to be all right. We’re going to be all right. … It was great to see him back out there.”
Davis has appeared in 49 games this season. The eight-time All-Star is averaging 25.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 blocks. Meanwhile, James is putting up 29.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game in 48 starts.
Draymond Green Thinks the Lakers Can Make Some Noise
On the March 24 episode of his podcast with Tristan Thompson, Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green said the Lakers are a threat in the West.
“People can say what they want, talking heads can talk, they are a serious threat in the West right now,” Green said. “Talk about the record all you want. They’ve just got to get in. They get in, they’re a serious threat in the West.”
Since trading Russell Westbrook, the Lakers are 12-8.
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