It was a tough loss for the LA Lakers last night. LeBron James and Luka Doncic led LA fell short against the Warriors at the Chase Center. Despite James scoring 33 points along with 5 rebounds and 9 assists and Doncic chipping in another 19 points, it was too much of an ask. It’s because the team not being able to control boards in addition to having trouble shooting. Moreover, Doncic himself went 6-of-17 from the field and, after the game, acknowledged that his performance was “unacceptable.” Well, that’s correct, as this loss saw the Lakers fall to the fourth seed in a stacked Western Conference.

Los Angeles boasts a 46-30 record after the disappointing loss and is in a precarious position. With just six games to go before the end of the regular season, the Lakers cannot afford any more slip-ups. They are placed just 1.5 games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies, who are sixth in the West and occupy the first play-in spot at the moment. While you might think there’s a lot of breathing space, the Lakers’ schedule is one the toughest in the league. So, this game against the Pelicans becomes very important. But will their biggest stars be available to play on back-to-back nights? Will Doncic and James suit up?

Lakers injury report before their clash with the Pelicans

The Lakers are on the hunt to seal their spot in the postseason. Los Angeles will be looking to bounce back against the Pelicans tonight after a tough loss. But, given they’ve had a hard time with injuries, will they be at their full strength? Recently, King James made a comeback after suffering a groin injury. So far, the 40-year-old has missed 11 games this season, and without him, the Lakers seem to struggle a lot. The Purple & Gold have a terrible 6-5 record without James on the floor. So, will LeBron James play tonight? Yes! That’s massive news for the Lakers nations as they hope to grab a crucial win against the Pelicans tonight.

Needless to say, the Lakers are much better with LeBron on the court. The veteran superstar has been impressive yet again this season, averaging 24.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.4 assists. That’s an incredible stat line! While it’s great news to have James for tonight’s game, what about their Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic? The 25-year-old point guard did not have the best of nights against Golden State. “I mean, very, it’s always frustrating when you can’t help your team,” he said after the last night’s loss. “Something like that, and it’s not always about scoring. You can do some other stuff on the court. Assists, rebounds, defense, all of that. So I’m trying to help in other ways.”

Despite his rough outing, Doncic will be back in action tonight! The Lakers’ point guard will have a shot at redemption against New Orleans at the Crypto.com Arena. Doncic has been solid since arriving at LA and looked like a real threat. He’s averaging 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game for the Purple & Gold. It is great news that he’s available tonight. However, do the Lakers have their full roster available tonight? Nope. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Los Angeles has just one injury for this game, and that is their new acquisition, Maxi Kleber. The 33-year-old forward has yet to make his debut for the Lakers.

He’s been out with a threatening foot injury and is still on his way to recovery. Kleber is a great option for the Lakers and adds some much-needed height to their frontcourt. However, he hasn’t been able to show his true potential since making the move from Dallas. Apart from him, LA is fully fit and will be eyeing an important win in front go their home crowd. But will Lakers head coach JJ Redick, try to switch things up a little after an embarrassing loss or keep things rolling? It will be interesting to see how LA approaches this must-win game tonight.

How can the Lakers line up against the Pelicans?

Luka Doncic will look to get redemption tonight, and LeBron James will try to emulate his performance from last night. But head coach JJ Redick will be asking for their teammates such as Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Reaves has been hi fantastic form; the 26-year-old guard has emerged as the third best player on the LA roster. He’s averaging 20.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. So, his performance tonight will also be a key factor, apart from Doncic and LeBron’s.

So, here’s how the Lakers could start:

Overall, this should be an easy win for the Lakers. LeBron James and Co. are coming off a disappointing game and will be looking to bounce back. Moreover, this is a tanking Pelicans team without Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum. So it will be an uphill battle for New Orleans tonight. Nonetheless, who knows? They might pull an upset. So, it will be interesting to see if the Lakers can grab a win tonight or not as the ball hits the air tonight at the Crypto.com Arena.