On the hardwood in the Windy City, two below-.500 teams from different conferences battle it out in an effort to improve their playoff positioning. The Los Angeles Lakers are away from home on Wednesday night, as they travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls.
The LA Lakers lead the regular season series 94-66, but the Bulls have won the last three matchups. Can the Lakers avoid a season sweep by the Bulls, or will they only be able to salvage a split?
Updates Injury for Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls
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The Lakers
After winning three straight games, Los Angeles’s streak was ended by a home loss to Chicago on Sunday.
The Lakers’ 37-38 record as of Tuesday put them dead last in the Pacific Division, eight games behind the division-leading Kings.
They were 1.5 games behind Minnesota for the final guaranteed spot and half a game ahead of the Mavericks for the final spot in the play-in tournament.
- LeBron James – Questionable
During Sunday’s 118-108 loss to the Bulls, LeBron James played 30 minutes and finished with 19 points (6-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-8 FT), eight rebounds, and three assists.
James did not immediately return to the starting lineup after missing 13 games with a foot injury, but he still saw significant playing time in relief.
According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, James’ status for Wednesday’s matchup with the Bulls due to a foot injury is up in the air.
- READ MORE: LeBron James injury status of The Lakers
James’ official availability will likely come down to a game-time decision, but it would be surprising to see him sit out with the Lakers fighting for a playoff spot unless his foot injury took a turn for the worse.
- Anthony Davis – Questionable to play Wednesday
According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Anthony Davis is questionable to play against the Bulls on Wednesday due to a stress injury in his right foot.
Despite being listed as probable for the last few games, Davis has played in each of the Lakers’ last five.
The star center has put up remarkable numbers in 36.2 minutes per game, averaging 24.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals.
Mo Bamba has been out since March 5 with an ankle injury. He has missed the last 10 games. Early April is when we anticipate his return. D’Angelo Russell (hip) is day-to-day after missing the last two games.
| PLAYER | INJURY |
STATUS
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| LeBron James | Foot |
Game Time Decision
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| Anthony Davis | Foot |
Game Time Decision
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| Scotty Pippen Jr. | Ankle |
Game Time Decision
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| D’Angelo Russell | Hip |
Game Time Decision
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| Mo Bamba | Ankle |
Expected to be out until at least Apr 11
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The Bulls
Prior to Monday night’s loss to the Clippers in the second game of a back-to-back set, the Chicago Bulls had won five of their previous six.
On Tuesday, the Bulls were 18 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the Central Division lead and sat in third place with a 36-39 record. They led Washington by three games for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference and were 10th in the conference, 18 games behind Milwaukee for first, 4 games behind the Nets for the final guaranteed playoff spot.
In Monday’s 124-112 loss to the Clippers, Demar DeRozan played 33 minutes and recorded 21 points (8-16 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals.
Despite dealing with a quad strain, DeRozan played well in both games of a back-to-back set on Monday.
In addition to his season averages of 24.9 points, 5.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, DeRozan has dished out 17 assists in his last two games. And that stat will rise tonight as he plays a key role in the Bulls’ game against the Lakers.
| PLAYER | INJURY |
STATUS
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| Javonte Green | Knee |
Game Time Decision
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| Alex Caruso | Foot |
Game Time Decision
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| Lonzo Ball | Knee |
Out for the season
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| Justin Lewis | Knee |
Out for the season
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