The Los Angeles Lakers step into their next game after a controversial win against the Toronto Raptors. Apart from that, the team also showed signs of coming out of their slump with two wins in a row. Now, they look to make it three in a row, as the LA side takes on the unsettled Phoenix Suns at the Crypto.com arena.

But, the home side was hit a major injury blow ahead of the game. The back-up big man Christian Wood, couldn’t regain full fitness and was ruled out of the game as a result. Let’s find out more about it in detail.

LeBron James & Co go shorthanded against the Suns

The Lakers had a major slump following their In-Season Tournament glory. They slipped to the 11th seed below the Golden State Warriors after a poor 8-2 run. But, they managed to turn it around and reach the 9th seed. Thanks to the bench for backing their starters. Christian Wood played a major role as the backup center, averaging 9.4 points in his last seven outings.

However, moments before the game, the updated injury report gave a piece of bad news. While they already missed out on Rui Hachimura for tonight’s game, as he has a calf injury, they have yet another setback in the form of Wood.

Mike Trudell, a beat reporter for Spectrum SN, stated that center Christian Wood had been ruled out of the game with an injury. Considering his performances in the last four games, it’s a major setback for LeBron James & Co.

While there isn’t clarity on the type of injury that kept Wood out of the game, it is confirmed that he was downgraded from questionable to Out right before tip-off.

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Meanwhile, let’s find out what HC Darvin Ham has to say about Wood’s current form.

Ham on Wood’s resurgence

For most times, Wood was sidelined from the back-up team, as Jaxson Hayes took care of the center role. But, it has changed in recent games.

The 28-year-old had his game time increased lately. In the last seven games, he stayed on the court at an average of 20.3 minutes per game. And Darvin Ham highlighted his importance after the Raptors win. He said, ” know there’s been a lot of noise about rotations and minutes. But at the end of the day, my man [Wood] has settled into that backup five role.”

He also added, “He’s finding his spots. And he’s keeping it simple.”

What do you make of Christian Wood’s absence in the Thursday night game? Will it backfire for the Lakers? Let us know in the comments below.

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