The Los Angeles Lakers have lately picked up a serious momentum right before the postseason. Last night, LeBron James orchestrated a dominating victory against the Brooklyn Nets with his 40-point game. Currently, they’re in the 9th seed with a 42-33 record, inching forward to escape the play-in contention. Next up, the Lakers face the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena at 7 PM ET.
As the team marches forward to collect another win, they have a stacked-up injury report before the game. The team has listed both LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the Questionable category with a Left ankle peroneal tendinopathy and left knee hyperextension, respectively. Additionally, the management ruled out Gabe Vincent, who made his return after a lengthy break, reasoning left knee injury recovery.
The Lakers have the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets chasing them to clinch a spot in the play-in tournament. LeBron James and Anthony Davis‘ absence tomorrow could be costly for the LA side. King James has sat out in a few games with his left ankle issue and the superstar might turn up to the court tomorrow to save the side. Apart from AD and Bron, the team also has a list of players missing the game.
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Updated for Toronto.
Jaxson Hayes is expected to be available after a 1-game absence, while Gabe Vincent won’t play on the front end of the B2B vs. the Raptors, but could be available for the back end at Washington. pic.twitter.com/w0x2O9ehQ6
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 1, 2024
The team has ruled out the following players: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, and Gabe Vincent. However, the team also has a positive update. The backup center Jaxson Hayes, who missed the last game with a left calf contusion, has been listed as a Probable for tomorrow’s game.
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On the other hand, the Raptors have a miserable injury report. The team ruled out nine players from its roster for the game. Star players like R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Scottie Barnes won’t make it to the game.
How would the starting line-up look for the Lakers?
The Raptors have lost 13 games in a row. The North-side has had a poor run ever since the injuries plagued them. On a side note, the Lakers have a 6-4 record in LeBron James’ absence. However, their long list of injuries may not affect the game’s result. In the absence of LBJ (PF) and Anthony Davis (C), youngsters in the line-up can get the call-up. Taurean Prince can replace James in the power forward position and Jaxson Hayes can replace AD for center.
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Hayes has put up a strong performance in the limited game time he received, averaging 4.1 points with 70.7% FG. Prince has had an underwhelming season averaging 9 points. Considering the injury report, the starting line-up may look like this: D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Haynes.