The Los Angeles Lakers dealt with several injuries throughout the 2017-18 season and in particular during the past few weeks. They are due to finish Wednesday’s game further shorthanded as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope suffered a sprain of the AC joint in his right shoulder.
X-rays for a fracture came back negative. Caldwell-Pope suffered the injury while attempting to fight through a DeAndre Jordan screen early in the first quarter. He immediately grabbed at his shoulder and walked to the locker room during a timeout.
Caldwell-Pope missed the only shot he took before his night came to an end. He entered play averaging 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Caldwell-Pope finished the season having appeared in 74 games.
Prior to tipoff, the 25-year-old said he believed this season was the best of his career. Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year contract with the Lakers last summer.
Before losing Caldwell-Pope for the night, the Lakers were already without their top four playmakers in Lonzo Ball (left knee contusion), Brandon Ingram (concussion), Kyle Kuzma (sprained left ankle) and Isaiah Thomas (hip surgery).
Ball missed a seventh consecutive game, Ingram his sixth, and a third for Kuzma. Thomas underwent his season-ending hip surgery on March 29 and is expected to miss four months.