On Tuesday night’s tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, three key Laker players suffered injuries. Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Dwight Howard all dealt with minor injuries on Tuesday, but are still expected to play on Wednesday night in New Orleans when they take on the Hornets.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles, the injuries suffered by the three players won’t be enough to keep them sidelined.
First, there’s Bryant;
Bryant suffered an ulnar nerve contusion — reaggravating a funny bone injury he has been dealing with for most of the season — in the first quarter and had to leave the court to receive treatment, before returning to score 30 points on 8-for-19 shooting.
Then, of course, there was Howard;
Howard also got hurt in the first quarter, needing the team to call timeout when he reaggravated the torn labrum in his right shoulder that has caused him to miss six games already this season.
And finally, we have World Peace, who was injured in the final quarter;
World Peace saw his 10 fourth-quarter points go to waste when he stepped on an opponent’s foot in the final minutes and had to exit the game because of his rolled right ankle with 2:24 remaining and the Lakers trailing by nine.
The Lakers are already in dire straights, as they need tonight’s win against the Hornets to realistically keep their playoff hopes alive. Even though Bryant, Howard and World Peace all intend on playing, the level at which they’re able to perform is going to be crucial for the outcome of the game.
