Another setback for LA Lakers as D’Angelo Russell is on his way to missing yet another game due to a persistent ankle injury.
The LA Lakers entered the final stretch for the current NBA season after the All-Star break. During the trade window, they overhauled the entire starting lineup and brought in a whole new set of young players. The gamble worked, and the Lakers registered three wins in four matchups post-break. Now, they have close to 20 games in hand to improve their chances of playoff qualification.
However, the Los Angeles Lakers have once again been plagued by injuries. The injuries that caused them so much damage during mid-season are back to haunt the purple and gold. After LeBron James’ season-ending foot injury, the LA Lakers’ newest addition, D’Angelo Russell, is missing out on an awful amount of games due to a sore ankle. Further, it looks like he is all set to miss yet another game this week.
D’Angelo Russell Set To Miss His Fourth Game In A Row
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired D’Angelo Russell in a three-team trade deal that involved the departure of point guard Russell Westbrook. Further, Russell played his first game for the Lakers just before the all-star break and impressed everyone. The fans saw a new and fresh energy in the point guard and laid out high expectations. However, things went haywire when D’Angelo suffered an ankle injury against the State Warriors.
It turns out the injury is more severe than previously anticipated. Post the injury, Russell missed two back-to-back games and went for an MRI. Later, it was known that the MRI reports showed no substantial damage, and the point guard just had a sprain on his ankle. Hence, his comeback was estimated on Friday against his former team, Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, as per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, D’Angelo Russell is all set to miss his fourth game in a row on Friday. Further, when asked if he would be available for Sunday night’s game, Russell looked confused and said, let’s get through Friday first. Russell’s injury is a massive setback for the Lakers, who are already reeling under LeBron’s grave injury.
Darvin Ham Updated On Anthony Davis’ Injury
The LA Lakers faced the Thunder last night without their dominant trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and D’Angelo Russell. In the absence of the big guns, the Lakers did an exceptional job by sealing a 123-117 victory over the Thunders. While the Lakers shared updates on LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell’s injury status, Anthony Davis sitting out came as a surprise to the fans. Moreover, the fans were concerned and made all kinds of speculations.
Darvin Ham, the head coach of the Lakers, said Anthony Davis’ recent benching was pre-planned. The head coach elaborated, saying that benching Davis for a game or two is between is a part of his recovery plan. While Davis seems obviously frustrated to miss out on crucial games, it’s important to rest his foot to avoid further damage. However, considering LeBron James’ situation, AD cannot miss out on more games from now. They have odd 20 games in hand from here on to finish in the playoff.