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Dec 2, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) on the bench against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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Dec 2, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) on the bench against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the Detroit Pistons at home, and this matchup has a lot of excitement surrounding it. The Lakers are on a three-game win streak and will look to keep that momentum going. The Pistons are coming off a surprising win against the Phoenix Suns, and they’re hoping to build on that. Heading into tonight’s game, everyone’s asking the same burning question: Will LeBron James and Anthony Davis suit up? This situation has fans wondering how this game will unfold if the superstars are sidelined.
The Lakers are juggling injuries that might shake up their lineup for tonight’s game. LeBron has been playing through a foot injury in his previous games, but his status is still uncertain for tonight’s game. Davis has been on fire this season and is also dealing with a shoulder issue after tweaking it in a game against Memphis on December 15. While their availability is still up in the air, the Lakers are hoping both players will be good enough to play.
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Nov 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) against the Phoenix Suns during an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Lakers will also be without Jalen Hood-Schifino, who is out with a hamstring injury, as well as Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood, both sidelined from previous games. Meanwhile, the Pistons have it easier on the injury front, with only their center Isaiah Stewart sidelined due to a knee issue.
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The impact of injuries on tonight’s game
So, what does all of this mean for the game? If LeBron and Davis are both out, the Lakers will need to lean on their supporting cast. Davis has been averaging nearly 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game, so if he can’t play, the Lakers will need others to fill that gap. LeBron, who has been playing through his foot injury, has also been crucial, contributing 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in his last three games. Without both stars, it’s going to put more pressure on the rest of the team to step up in a big way.
For the Pistons, they’ll be relying on Cade Cunningham to keep up his strong play. Cunningham is averaging 24 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game this season, and he’ll be crucial if the Pistons want to keep pace with the Lakers. The absence of Stewart could make Detroit vulnerable in the rebounding department, but Jalen Duren has been playing well this season and will need to take on a bigger role.
Pistons @ Lakers
Cade has 24+ points in 4 of his last 7. He scored 17 vs LA on 11/4. He has 9+ assists in 4 of his last 7 and recorded 11 assists in the last meeting. Beasley has 18+ points in 5 of his last 7 but scored just 7 points vs LA on 11/4. He’s averaging 4.6 made threes… pic.twitter.com/CC2en88k9F
— Chef Jeff (@the_ChefJeff) December 23, 2024
If Davis can’t suit up, the Lakers’ defense will face a serious test tonight. Detroit has shown they can exploit the Lakers’ frontcourt with their recent perfromance against the Suns. The Pistons snatched 17 offensive rebounds in their win over the Lakers earlier this season, and they’ll aim to pull off a similar feat tonight.
Depth Charts of Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons
Lakers Depth Chart:
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Position | Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
PG | Austin Reaves | D’Angelo Russell | Gabe Vincent | Quincy Olivari | Bronny James |
SG | Max Christie | Gabe Vincent | Dalton Knecht | Austin Reaves | Cam Reddish |
SF | Rui Hachimura | Dalton Knecht | Cam Reddish | Max Christie | LeBron James DD |
PF | LeBron James DD | Cam Reddish | Rui Hachimura | Armel Traore | Maxwell Lewis |
C | Anthony Davis DD | Jaxson Hayes O | Christian Koloko | Armel Traore | LeBron James DD |
Detroit Pistons Depth Chart:
Position | Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
PG | Cade Cunningham | Jaden Ivey | Marcus Sasser | Wendell Moore Jr. | Daniss Jenkins |
SG | Jaden Ivey | Malik Beasley | Tim Hardaway Jr. | Wendell Moore Jr. | Marcus Sasser |
SF | Tim Hardaway Jr. | Ausar Thompson | Ronald Holland II | Malik Beasley | Wendell Moore Jr. |
PF | Tobias Harris | Simone Fontecchio | Ausar Thompson | Ronald Holland II | Bobi Klintman |
C | Jalen Duren | Isaiah Stewart O | Paul Reed | Cole Swider |
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For the Lakers, the availability of LeBron and Davis will play a huge role in determining the outcome. If both can suit up, LA will likely extend their win streak, but if they’re both out, it could be a different story. With so many uncertainties heading into the game, tonight’s matchup promises to be an exciting one for both teams and their fans.
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