A pair of Western Conference foes fresh off wins will collide, with the Los Angeles Lakers staying on the road to face the Houston Rockets at 8:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
The latest injury update for Lakers vs. Rockets game
The match is the second of three scheduled between the two teams. When the Lakers and Rockets first met in January, the Lakers came out on top, 140-132.
The absence of LeBron James has not been a problem for the Lakers recently. Despite the fact that the all-time great hasn’t played since February 26 and won’t play in this game, the Lakers’ moves before the trade deadline have paid off.
They defeated the Pelicans in New Orleans largely because of a dominant first half performance. When play began on Tuesday night, the Lakers were tied for ninth place in the Western Conference standings with the Pelicans and the Thunder. The lowest qualifying seed for the playoffs is the No. 10 seed.
After what he considered to be a poor game on Saturday, Anthony Davis responded with a double-double in just 19 minutes of action on Sunday.
Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register quotes coach Darvin Ham as saying that despite the fact that Davis is in no pain, he will not play against the Rockets on Wednesday because of a “active” foot injury.
After playing in the last six games despite a foot injury, Davis will sit out Wednesday’s second game of a back-to-back for the Lakers. Nonetheless, on Friday against the Mavericks, he will likely return to action.
In Davis’ absence, Wenyen Gabriel will most likely be given more responsibility.
So, who are these new Lakers helping them make the playoffs? Well, one of them is a familiar face from Southern California: D’Angelo Russell’s return has been a huge boost to the team’s offense.
With James (foot) likely sidelined until late March and possibly into April, fans should expect more dynamic outings from Russell as the Lakers look to secure a playoff spot.
On the defensive end, Malik Beasley, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt have been outstanding, and they’ve given the offense the breathing room it needs on the offensive end, too. Aside from LeBron James, another deadline acquisition, Mo Bamba, is also currently out with an injury.
On Monday night, the Rockets defeated the Celtics, who had the best record in the NBA for the majority of the year, despite Houston being one of only three teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Alperen Sengun‘s status for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers is in doubt.
Sengun missed Monday’s victory over the Celtics due to a strained left groin, his first game out of the lineup since January 28. If Sengun can’t go on Wednesday, Tari Eason will likely get the nod again.
Injury report Rockets
- Alperen Sengun (Groin) – Questionable
Injury report Lakers
- Anthony Davis (Foot) – Out
- Mo Bamba (Ankle) – Out
- LeBron James (Foot) – Out
