5-5! That is the win record that the Los Angeles Lakers squad holds over its last 10 games against the Houston Rockets. Perfectly balanced (Thanos would be proud). Both teams are currently right behind the Oklahoma City Thunder on the points chart, occupying the 2nd and 3rd seeds, respectively. Therefore, the upcoming game is not going to be a mere one. It is going to be a preview of what to expect if they ever come face-to-face in the post-season. Given the importance of the game and the 5-5 record, both LeBron James and Luka Doncic would be needed to assist their squad on the scoring front. Fortunately, from the injury aspect, fans have nothing to worry about regarding the duo.

According to the Los Angeles Lakers’ Injury Report, as highlighted by ESPN, LeBron James is listed as ‘Probable’ for the upcoming game against the Rockets. This means that, even though he still continues to manage his groin injury, LeBron James will continue his trend of playing every matchup since he returned from his 7-game absence back in March. On top of that, Luka Doncic’s name is nowhere on the report. This means that the player’s troubles with his groin injury seem to be behind him for now.

LeBron James sustained his groin injury back in early March during a matchup against the Boston Celtics. He exited the game as 6:44 minutes remained in the 4th quarter and did not return. Initially, the 40-year-old downplayed the injury by saying there was “not much concern” and vowed to “go day to day” in treating it. However, after further diagnosis, it was made clear that LeBron would miss at least 1-2 weeks. In the 7 games that the player eventually missed, the Lakers lost all 4 games on that road trip. However, they recovered and won 3 straight at home.

As for Luka Doncic, the Slovenian was declared ‘Questionable’ right before the team’s 2nd consecutive game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. The Lakers were scheduled to have back-to-back games, with a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks immediately taking place the next day. And, of course, the Lakers-Mavs game held special significance, as it marked Luka’s first time returning to the American Airlines Center for a game since his shocking trade back in February.

However, given his ‘Questionable’ status, the player could have only played either against OKC or his old team. Fortunately, he was present for both. In fact, Luka dropped an impressive 45 points against the Mavs.

From the Lakers’ side, the only player expected to be ‘OUT’—Maxi Kleber. He has yet to suit up for the Lakers ever since he underwent surgery on his right foot back in late January.

As for the Houston Rockets, the team currently has 4 players listed on the Injury Report. However, only 1 of them is ‘OUT’, while the rest are listed as ‘Questionable’.

Jae’Sean Tate is expected to be ‘OUT’ as he continues to recover from his ankle injury. Meanwhile, Jabari Smith Jr. is in danger of missing his 2nd consecutive game due to a groin ailment. So is Fred VanVleet, who is dealing with a minor ankle issue. Alperen Sengun is also expected to miss a 2nd consecutive game due to a reason that has only been specified as ‘Personal’ for now.

In light of these updates, both teams will have to make adjustments to their starting lineups.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Lakers-Rockets game look like?

According to Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com, Maxi Kleber has returned to on-court activities. This is a positive sign and indicates that the player might be able to participate in the playoffs. For now, however, the team will have to make do without him. In light of this and the positive update about LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers’ starting lineup will look something like this:

Since he has been averaging only 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this season, Jae’Sean Tate’s absence won’t impact the Rockets much. Meanwhile, Aaron Holiday and Reed Sheppard will have to take up additional responsibilities in the backcourt if Fred VanVleet remains absent. Similarly, to cover for Alperen Sengun, Houston will probably turn to Steven Adams and Jock Landale. In light of this, the starting lineup for the Houston Rockets is expected to look like this:

The Los Angeles Lakers or the Houston Rockets? Who will you be rooting for in the upcoming game? Let us know in the comments section down below.