After all they’ve been through, the Los Angeles Lakers cannot afford to drop any more close games this season.
They’ve been on the wrong end of multiple questionable calls, and they’ve also failed to keep the same intensity against lesser teams more often than not.
But Darvin Ham and the medical staff are also thinking of the long run, so they’ll give their two best players a breather in their game Monday night road matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers will sit Anthony Davis (right foot stress injury), and LeBron James (left ankle soreness) will be out, with Austin Reaves (left hamstring strain) joining them on the sidelines.
Lonnie Walker IV (left knee tendinitis) is probable ahead of the game, while Cole Swider and Scottie Pippen Jr. won’t’ be available as they’re assigned to the team’s G-League affiliate.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are out for tomorrow’s game in BKN, per the Lakers pic.twitter.com/Zp90N6dmEi
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 29, 2023
This will likely be a scheduled loss for the Lakers, even if Kevin Durant, TJ Warren, and Ben Simmons wind up missing the game for Jacque Vaughn‘s team.
The Lakers are currently way outside of the playoff picture, sitting at the 13th spot in the Western Conference.
Nonetheless, they’re just 4.5 games behind the third-seeded Sacramento Kings, so anything could still happen at this point.
That’s why preserving 38-year-old LeBron James for the remainder of the season will be key after enduring such a heavy workload throughout the campaign, and Anthony Davis has always struggled to stay healthy, so you can never be too cautious with him.
NEXT: Lakers Insider Shares The Effect Of A Major No-Call
