Amid the current slump in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ run in this season, the team has something to cheer about. After a disappointing loss against the Phoenix Suns, the team was all set to take the court without LeBron James. The 4x NBA Champion missed out on tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz, owing to an ankle sprain. But, at the same time, Lakers have a massive boost in the form of a 6 ‘8 star forward.

Following the success of the NBA Cup, nothing seems to be working for the purple & gold. Apart from losing the game, they also found themselves in a pool of injuries. Starting with Gabe Vincent at the start of the season, and followed by D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, the LA side had players constantly on the injury report.

6 ‘8 star steps in after the absence of LeBron James

The Lakers injury report surprisingly had only two names on it. It was LeBron James, who was out because of a left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, and Gabe Vincent. Which meant that the Lakers have pretty healthy roster compared to their previous outings.

But, the inclusion of Rui Hachimura in tonight’s game against the Jazz seemed to be a massive boost, as Darvin Ham himself confirmed his place on the team. Ahead of the tip-off, the Lakers head coach appeared for a brief interview with Spectrum SportsNet and confirmed the availability of the Japanese-American player Hachimura, who was out for the last five games with a calf injury.

Ham said, “He is coming off with issues of his own. He is definitely under minute restriction. We will have to go through the process and see, how we mix and match these guys.”

Hachimura himself had a tough season dealing with multiple injuries. He battled a nose, wrist and calf injuries along with a concussion in this season alone.

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Although, Hachimura is cleared to play tonight, he will only play under restricted minutes.

Will the short-handed Lakers win against the Jazz?

The Jazz have stepped on the court with a 4-game winning streak, beating red-hot teams like the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks. In that sense, LeBron James-less team would find it difficult to take the win.

Moreover, in the last outing against the Suns, the Lakers were criticized for picking an entirely defense dominated line-up against star shooters like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Subsequently, it backfired for the LA side.

Considering the Jazz’s paint dominant play, the Lakers might also have a chance at the prize.

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What do you make of the Lakers injury report? Will they tackle the Jazz without King James? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.