The Los Angeles Lakers’ injury report for Friday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers has LeBron James (right ankle soreness), Wayne Ellington (left hamstring strain) and Rajon Rondo (right ankle soreness) as questionable while Anthony Davis (right knee soreness) is probable.
Additionally, Trevor Ariza (right ankle injury recovery), Talen Horton-Tucker (right thumb injury recovery) and Kendrick Nunn (right knee bone bruise) remain out as they continue to recover from their respective injuries.
Because of how short-handed the Lakers could potentially be, their two-way players Sekou Doumbouya and Jay Huff are listed as questionable and could suit up to give them some extra bodies.
James’ status is once again up in the air after missing both of the games on the Lakers’ road trip, which began with the high of a thrilling overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs and ended with the low of a historically bad loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers are scheduled to have shootaround on Friday morning, so James will likely test out his ankle and see if he is good to return to action against his former team. The same can be said for Ellington, who has been dressing for the Lakers’ last couple games but Frank Vogel has opted to stay away from him as he continues to get closer to 100%.
Rondo is a new appearance on the injury report after rolling his ankle in the game against the Thunder. He came out after it happened but was later able to return and finish out the game.
The one positive is that Davis is again listed as probable, so he’s likely to play. He banged knees with an opposing player in the game against the Spurs but was still able to play the following night.
Vogel believes Lakers ‘took our foot off the gas’ in loss to Thunder
While the Thunder went into the game against the Lakers with an 0-4 record, they showed that any team is capable of winning on a given night and no lead is safe in the NBA. Vogel emphasized that after the game, hoping it’s a learning lesson for his team.
“I think we took our foot off the gas after that big first-quarter lead, which happens in the NBA,” Vogel said after the contest.
“Usually, you can catch yourselves and sustain it but we weren’t able to do that both in that second quarter and particularly that third quarter in the second half. The ball stopped moving side to side. I got to do a better job making sure that our guys are moving it side to side. Our focus, intensity and effort on the defensive end, that slipped as well. Disappointing loss, but lesson learned. NBA season is a long season and a lesson for our group that you can’t ever take your foot off the gas for anyone.”
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