Tonight, the Toronto Raptors will take on the Los Angeles Lakers in a conference showdown at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Raptors vs. Lakers, Game 2 of a 2-game regular season series; Toronto is looking for a season sweep.
The latest injury update Raptors vs. Lakers game
Bloodied yet not deterred, when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Toronto Raptors, Anthony Davis will keep the Lakers’ postseason hopes alive.
In the last five games, Davis has averaged 33 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks as the Lakers climb the Western Conference standings in pursuit of a play-in tournament berth.
With a win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, 112-103, at home, led by 30 points and a season-high 22 rebounds from Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers climbed into ninth place.
The night’s work came despite a blow to the nose from Memphis’ David Roddy, which required time out of the game to seek medical attention for internal and external nose bleeding.
Davis has averaged 26.5 points and 12.5 rebounds this season in 16 games since returning from a foot stress injury.
Davis will have to play through the pain in order to be on pace. With only 16 games left, the Los Angeles Lakers are struggling without top player LeBron James, who may miss another three weeks due to a tendon injury in his right foot.
D’Angelo Russell and Mo Bamba, both of whom have ankle problems, also weren’t able to play for Los Angeles.
Though Bamba will be out for at least four weeks, Russell is expected to make his return to the lineup on Friday after missing the previous six games with a sprained right ankle. In all likelihood, he will end up on the list.
Russell is “very much a full go,” Lakers head coach Darvin Harris told reporters on Thursday.
Unless something drastic happens in the next day, Russell will likely replace Dennis Schroder as the starting point guard.
- Read also: LeBron James injury status of The Lakers
On Wednesday, the Raptors opened their extended stay in Los Angeles with a 108-100 loss to the Clippers. When playing a team that had allowed an average of 131.7 points per game in its previous six contests, Toronto shot 38.5% from the field.
The Raptors, despite having 20-point scorers from Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes, were outscored 59-51 in the second half. Despite causing 17 turnovers for the Clippers and taking 96 shots to the Clippers’ 71, Toronto still came up short. The Clippers shot 31 free throws to just 14 for the Raptors.
Toronto is currently 1-3 on their five-game road trip, which concludes this coming Friday.
The Raptors, like the Lakers, are clinging to the ninth slot in their own conference and were only 1 1/2 games away from being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention as of Thursday’s NBA action.
Siakam scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Toronto as the Raptors defeated the Magic 126-113 on December 7. The Lakers played that one without both James and Davis.
According to Vivek Jacob of the Raptors’ official site, Will Barton (illness) is a “likely” starter for Friday’s game against the Lakers.
Barton missed Tuesday’s game due to an illness unrelated to COVID, but his chances of returning on Friday look considerably better.
