The L.A. Lakers are back to winning ways on Thursday as they defeated the Trail Blazers without superstar Anthony Davis. The stars of the show were Max Christie who dropped a career-high 28 points and veteran LeBron James who netted 38 points in just 36 minutes! Now, they host the Atlanta Hawks in a much-anticipated back-to-back clash at the Crypto.com Arena.

At the same time, the Hawks‘ four-game winning streak ended as they lost to the Nuggets. Trae Young saw his 30-point effort fall short as Denver outscored them by 19 points. One question still hovers around this game and that’s Anthony Davis’ fitness, is the veteran available for tonight’s matchup? The answer to this is no.

Davis was sidelined due to an ankle injury for the Trail Blazers game and will also sit out this game. So far this season, the 31-year-old is averaging a team-high 26.1 points along with 11.6 rebounds and two blocks per game. The Lakers will miss Davis for this one, as he and LeBron combined for 67 points in the first meeting with the Hawks even though that wasn’t enough for them to snatch the win.

Given that, L.A. will have to ensure players like Jalen Johnson or Dyson Daniels don’t have breakout type of night. Moreover, JJ Redick will have to figure out a way to get through the Hawks’ defense and get back-to-back wins. Hopefully, new signings Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton find their footing in this one. Here are all the latest updates ahead of the tip-off tonight.

Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report for the Showdown vs the Hawks

Apart from Anthony Davis, the Lakers are set to miss several other key pieces for tonight’s clash including Christian Wood. The 29-year-old forward has been ruled out of the game for unknown reasons. Following him is Gabe Vincent who’s out with an oblique injury and will not participate in the game.

Other names on the report are guard Jalen Hood-Schifino who has sustained a hamstring injury and remains out for this game. Lastly, Jarred Vanderbilt continues his recovery process as he has resumed non-contact work in practices and will soon be re-evaluated.

Los Angeles Lakers’ predicted starting five for tonight’s clash

This matchup will be a real litmus test for the Lakers as they look to regain some momentum but Anthony Davis’ absence will be a huge blow. Furthermore, JJ Redick will once again have to rely on Max Christie and veteran LeBron James to get his side through the line tonight. Here’s how they could lineup for against Atlanta:

Ultimately, this game should be a close one and could swing either way. For the Lakers, Austin Reaves and LeBron James’ performances will be pivotal. On the other hand, for Atlanta, Dyson Daniels and Trae Young will be key pieces and will not let Los Angeles walk through with an easy win at any cost. Let’s see who comes on top as the ball goes into the air tonight!