After a tough loss on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. Suffering back-to-back losses from the Sacramento Kings and the Warriors, this matchup against the Hawks is crucial for the purple and gold to re-ignite their dim chances of making the playoffs this season.
The bruised Lakers are in a tough spot for Monday’s matchup, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are said to be ‘questionable’ for the home game.
Lakers unlikely to have LeBron James and Anthony Davis vs Hawks
Anthony Davis only played 12 minutes on Saturday, as he was struck in the eye by Trayce Jackson-Davis and was benched for the rest of the game. Davis was unable to open his left eye after that, so it is unlikely that he will play against the Hawks.
LeBron James, on the other hand, scored a game-high 40 points but is said to be uncertain for Monday due to his ankle issues.
LeBron’s lingering ankle has been a problem for him throughout the season, and his unavailability can take a major toll on the Lakers squad. If he’s out, Taurean Prince and Rui Hachimura have to step up to compensate for the missing key players in a must-win scenario for the Lakers.
LeBron James comments on Lakers missing Anthony Davis for huge game
After Davis was benched and the Lakers lost a hard-fought battle to the Golden State Warriors, LeBron spoke about Davis’s absence. He said, “Obviously, us having another threat always on the floor both offensively and defensively versus a team that has multiple threats.”
He also mentioned how the team balance was disturbed due to Anthony’s absence. Even though the Lakers played good basketball, the Warriors just played better. At last, LeBron mentioned the impact Stephen Curry has on the Warriors.
“Obviously having Steph back changed their dynamic. You could see the difference between when Steph was on the floor and the last couple games when he didn’t play. It’s tough when you have a big component to this puzzle, and then you don’t have it,” said LeBron.
The Lakers are currently the 10th seed in the competitive Western Conference with a record of 36-32. With just 14 games remaining, they have to buckle up with the possibility of playing at this crucial stage without their star players to avoid the play-in tournament and enter the playoffs directly.
