Nuggets Injury Report: Reggie Jackson and Others’ Availability Ahead of Impending Lakers Sweep

The Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of making it to the next stage of the tournament are all but over. Despite a valiant effort that allowed them to reach till this stage, the team has now lost 3 of it’s 6 playoff games against the Denver Nuggets. Since another loss for the Lakers would result in the team getting eliminated from the tournament, the Nuggets will be looking to close this chapter as soon as possible by putting their best foot forward during Game 4. However, the same may or may not have to be done without the assistance of one of the roster’s key players.

A few hours ago, a X user by the name of Brendan Vogt took to his official account to highlight details from the Nuggets’ recently released Injury Report. According to it, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has come out to confirm that Reggie Jackson’s ankle is “Sprained” and that his status for Game 4 has been listed as “Questionable”. This update was made barely an hour after it was revealed that the player has been seen donning a walking boot and making use of crutches to move around.

Reggie Jackson developed the injury during Game 3 of the Lakers-Nuggets clash. With barely a minute remaining in the first quarter, the 2023 NBA champion accidentally stepped on Anthony Davis’ foot, causing his ankle to get rolled. The player had to be led to the locker room in the aftermath of that incident, having scored only 5 points during his 7 minutes on the court. While he later took his seat on the benches, Jackson didn’t play any further during the duration of the game.

Michael Malone revealed that the Nuggets have a plan in mind on how to proceed forward without Jackson. While the ball handler’s absence may cause a few changes to be made upon the responsibilities of the offensive lineup, it’s important to remember that the Nuggets currently hold a 3-0 lead over the Lakers. Therefore, if there ever was a good time for the player to be away from the main lineup, then it is right now. Furthermore, a few more days of rest can ensure that Jackson is all well and good when the Nuggets head to the 2 round of the Playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the ones who will be in the ‘do-or-die’ situation during Game 4. Unlike the Nuggets, however, their Injury Report has quite a few names. A streak continues to be maintained as Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood once again find themselves in the ‘OUT’ category of the report. The franchise’s lead scorer LeBron James continues to remain in the ‘Probable’ category, meaning that there is a high chance for the player to be present during the matchup. If the Lakers weren’t already in a rough situation, the Injury Report brings some unfortunate news as Anthony Davis has been demoted from ‘Probable’ to ‘Questionable’.

Reggie Jackson Stats vs Lakers

During his 13-year long NBA career, Reggie Jackson has faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers on 33 occasions. 26 of them were with other teams which the player was a part of before joining the Nuggets. His average score in those games stood at a commendable 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about his performance upon joining the Lakers.

During the last 7 Lakers-Nuggets clash that he was a part of, Reggie Jackson managed to secure an average score of 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists to his name. His average playing time, however, was lesser than the other players on the main lineup, standing at 12.7 minutes per game. Jackson’s shooting attempts were also not quite high, with his field goal average standing at 1.3-4.1, his three pointers attempt at 0.7-2.3 and his free throws at 0-0.

Jackson’s performance during Game 1 and Game 2 wasn’t noteworthy, since the player since the player only scored 3 and 0 points respectively in them. Jackson is a remarkable ball handler in his own way. However, if the above stats show us anything, it’s that the Nuggets can afford to go into the next matchup without their 34-year-old point guard.