After being dethroned as NBA Cup champions, the Los Angeles Lakers are now setting their sights on a bigger prize as they return from a short break to face the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.
The big question on everyone’s mind: Will LeBron James be suiting up for the game?
Like most NBA teams, the Lakers had a break from Monday to Wednesday to allow the basketball world to focus on the NBA Cup final between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Bucks secured their spot as Cup winners by defeating the Thunder on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
James made a strong return from a two-game absence, contributing 18 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds in 34 minutes to lead the Lakers to a 116-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. With his 40th birthday approaching in less than two weeks, James mentioned that the eight days off had helped his ailing left foot.
Lakers coach JJ Redick noted that James will likely play in shorter stints moving forward. He was listed as questionable for Friday’s game.
James recorded a triple-double in the Lakers’ last meeting with the Kings in October. The teams will face off again on Saturday in Sacramento to complete an NBA-style doubleheader.
Both the Lakers and Kings are locked in a tight battle for sixth place in the Western Conference and the four play-in spots, with seven teams separated by just two games.
Despite losing eight of their last 12 games, the Lakers hold the last play-in position. The Kings, who have lost eight of their last 13, are two games behind Los Angeles (and three other teams).
Sacramento could have been closer if they had managed to close out the Denver Nuggets on Monday. However, DeMar DeRozan missed a potential game-winner in the final seconds, resulting in a 130-129 defeat for the Kings.
Kings coach Mike Brown emphasized the need for improved interior defense ahead of the matchup with the Lakers and Anthony Davis. A silver lining from the defeat was Doug McDermott’s performance, scoring 16 points in a rare start with Keegan Murray out due to a sore left ankle.
The Kings hope to have Murray back for Thursday’s game, though he, along with Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Domantas Sabonis (back), were all listed as questionable.
