The Lakers are gunning for a repeat in their NBA Cup pursuit. And they need all hands on deck to get the job done. Well, their journey begins tonight as they face the Spurs in the tournament’s first group-stage encounter. But they will have to play the game shorthanded as Rui Hachimura finds himself on the injury report. Yes, he has been ruled out because of a right ankle sprain. To make matters worse, there is no timeline for his return so far.

After dealing with Victor Wembanyama and Co., the Purple and Gold franchise will face the Pelicans tomorrow. But Rui told ESPN that he does not know his status for that game yet and is waiting to see how his ankle responds to treatment. That means the hoopster might miss both nights of the back-to-back!

Sure enough, that is a massive blow for his team because Rui has been in solid form so far, averaging 12.7 points. Moreover, he has been highly efficient, shooting a career-high 50% from the three-point line. Even in the last game he played against Memphis, he went off for nineteen points on an impressive six-of-seven shooting. Surely, the Lakers will miss his two-way presence until he returns.

Well, JJ Redick has already begun strategizing for his absence as he revealed that Dalton Knecht and Max Christie will get more minutes to make up for the missing Gonzaga alum. And Bronny James’ co-draftee gets his career’s second start tonight and replaces Rui Hachimura in the rotation. The rookie has been highly impressive so far, averaging 7.3 points in limited minutes.

Anthony Davis’ availability gives the Lakers a HUGE sigh of relief

Apart from Rui, Anthony Davis was also on the injury report before tonight’s game. Well, his status was probable because of left plantar fasciitis, a lingering injury he has been playing through for quite some time. Thankfully, The Brow was upgraded and is available to play tonight. He will be starting the game alongside his scoring partner LeBron James. Sure enough, everyone is waiting to see him go head-to-head against Wemby as the young Spurs star is coming off a 50-point game.

Meanwhile, AD has been in MVP form this season, averaging 30.2 points. And his availability provides a huge boost to JJ Redick’s plans and intent to win. Moreover, attention will also be on King James as he is coming off three consecutive triple-doubles, the oldest player to ever do so. And fans are eager to see if he can extend that streak tonight. The man is weeks away from his grand 40th birthday and still has the motivation of an 18-year-old young gun, who’d be looking to break into the top flight. Incredible!

If the two stars play at that level, the Lakers will likely not feel the absence of Rui and bag their first win of the NBA Cup tournament.