The Los Angeles Lakers are in a dire situation down 0-3 and they will need all the help they can get. They stand on the brink of another 4-0 sweep, repeating their fate in last year’s Conference Finals, as they go up against the Denver Nuggets tonight in Game 4 of their first-round matchup. Unfortunately for the Lakers squad, the recently released injury report for Game 4 isn’t looking too promising.
Making yet another appearance on the injury report, Lakers superstar LeBron James has prompted some level of concern among fans. However, the Lakers forward has been tagged as “probable” on the injury report, citing his ankle issues[left ankle, Peroneal Tendinopathy], an injury that has pestered James throughout the second half of this season.
Joining James on the injury report is his running mate, Anthony Davis, who has been listed as “questionable” ahead of the Lakers’ second home game at Crypto.com Arena. Davis’s “questionable” status ahead of game 4 comes after he recently sprained his left wrist. The Lakers big man had been tagged for back issues in the previous games, but the mention of a “wrist sprain” has never come up before. Regardless of the ailments, both James and Davis will probably turn up for this must-win game 4 at home, as the LA side tries to avoid a repeat of last year’s Western Conference Finals.
While the Lakers might manage without a 39-year-old LeBron James, Anthony Davis will definitely be needed to guard Denver’s superstar center, Nikola Jokic. The “probable” 2023–24 MVP has been the bane of the Lakers’ existence for the last two seasons, as the NBA’s win winningest franchise has failed to win a single game in the last 11 contests between the two teams.
The silver lining to the Lakers injury report seems to be Christian Wood’s possible return for Game 4. While Wood has been sidelined since March after he underwent an orthopedic procedure on his left knee, recent reports are claiming that the Lakers big man could possibly make a return[ tagged as questionable on the injury report] ahead of the Lakers’ do-or-die game at home. That being said, the 28-year-old hasn’t played competitive basketball in some time now, and inserting him into the line-up could prove to be counterproductive against a seasoned Nuggets team.
LeBron James wants to take it one game at a time
King James never seems to disappoint when it comes to his post-season performances. However, other players on the team will have to step up.
James thinks that his team still has a shot, if they take the series one game at a time,
“It’s one game at a time at this point…You lose and you go home, so you come out with the mindset of let’s get one, force a Game 5, and then we’ll go from there. ”
To defeat a team like the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers will have to be flawless on both ends of the floor. As of now, the California side is struggling to keep their opponents off the boards, as Jokic and Gordon look downright unstoppable in the post.
