The Los Angeles Lakers will play the Philadelphia 76ers for the second and final time this season. L.A. is coming into this game after playing some stellar basketball in the past few weeks. They recently won a close game against the Hornets making it their fourth straight win! Now, they focus on Philadelphia, and there’s some worrying news as they release their injury report.

The Lakers have announced that their defensive forward, Jarred Vanderbilt, will not be a part of the lineup! This might not come as a surprise to many, given Vanderbilt made his return to the hardwood after a year-long absence. The Lakers are being extremely cautious with Vanderbilt as they want him to stay fit for the remainder of the season.

However, it’s not all bad for the L.A. faithful as on the other hand, a star is eyeing a return for the Sixers game. Who? Well, it’s none other than Rui Hachimura who’s been listed as probable for the fixture. Hachimura missed the last two games due to a left calf soreness. If everything goes well, we might see the 26-year-old in action tonight.

So far, Hachimura has been solid for Los Angeles when fit, averaging 12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. Having him back on the court will be a huge boost as the Lakers look to secure their 27th win of the season and a series sweep over the 76ers. That being said, let’s hear what Vando had to say about his return to the hardwood after a year-long absence.

Jarred Vanderbilt even surprised himself at how good his return was against the Warriors

Jarred Vanderbilt took the floor against the Warriors on Saturday after almost a year-long absence! Naturally, there wasn’t much expectation from the big man apart from shaking off some rust before he hit the ground running. However, while Vanderbilt was nowhere near his peak disruptive form, it certainly wasn’t a rusty version either.

In just 12 minutes, he finished the game with four rebounds, two points, two assists, and three steals. More than the stats though Vanderbilt’s impact and energy were the intangibles that impressed everyone the most. After the game, he was asked if he was surprised by his performance to which he said, “A little bit“.

“I knew I might be a little rusty coming in as far as rhythm and knowing the plays and all that stuff. My main goal was to just go out there, play hard, bring the energy, just control the controllables and everything else will play its hand.” Vando said. The type of plays he made were surprising and he did not seem to miss a beat from the star. Overall, the Lakers fans will be hoping to see more of Vando soon as he will be watching their next game against the Sixers from the bench.