The Los Angeles Lakers lost a tough game to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, and they won’t get time to rest as they’re taking on the New York Knicks on Tuesday. The good news is that it looks like LeBron James and Anthony Davis will likely be available for the Lakers in Tuesday’s game.
Davis is probable, and James is questionable for the game (though it looks like he’ll play). When it comes to other players on the Lakers roster dealing with injuries, both Patrick Beverley and Austin Reaves have been declared out for the game.
Updated Lakers injury report tonight against the Knicks: pic.twitter.com/wXctrnpOex
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) January 31, 2023
Though James is questionable, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that the superstar will play. It will be his first game in the iconic Madison Square Garden since 2020.
LeBron James will play tonight against the New York Knicks, sources told ESPN. It will be his first game at Madison Square Garden since January 2020.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 31, 2023
Obviously, the Lakers would love to have all of their players available, but having James and Davis is of the utmost importance for a team that is trying to make up ground in the Western Conference.
The Lakers lost an overtime game to the Boston Celtics in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday, and a win in New York would help ease the pain a bit. Moreover, it will be great for Knicks fans to see James play once again in MSG. He has had some iconic performances there over the years, and another one could be in store for the crowd on Tuesday.
James was dominant in the loss to the Celtics, dropping 41 points to go along with nine boards and eight assists. He’s been in MVP form lately despite the struggles of his team overall.
The veteran didn’t play against the Nets on Monday.
Though the Lakers are currently sitting at a really dismal 23-28 on the season and are the No. 13 seed in the West, one decently sized winning streak could change everything for L.A.
At the moment, they are just four games back of the No. 4 seed in the conference. It’s a perfect indication of how congested things are in the West this season.
The Lakers can’t look too far ahead right now, however. All they can do is hope that the many close games they’ve been a part of recently will start going their way. Tuesday’s game in New York would be a great time for those fortunes to change for the Purple and Gold.
