The Lakers’ next setback is already around the corner. With three key players sidelined, the Los Angeles Lakers face the bleak possibility of overworking 41-year-old LeBron James for the remainder of the season. The Lakers aren’t even playing on Monday night but their hope of securing the Western Conference’s third seed hit a stressful roadblock. While they’re 24 hours from another faceoff against the defending champions, a dramatic victory by the Denver Nuggets threatens their postseason standings.

The latest blow is once again in the injury report before the Lakers-Thunder game on April 7. While Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart remain sidelined, LeBron James was downgraded to questionable. James has been dealing with lingering arthritic issues in his left leg all season and after a 30-point outing on Sunday, he might need rest for ‘left leg injury management.’

As the regular season enters its final week, the Lakers now find themselves staring at a potential slide in the standings while their veteran leader officially enters “questionable” status. It comes after the Denver Nuggets’ stunning 137–132 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena on Monday.

The Nuggets were trailing by 16 points in the second half. Nikola Jokic led a thrilling fourth quarter comeback to take the game into overtime and ultimately a win. The result had immediate ripple effects for the Lakers; as ESPN’s Tim Bontemps noted, it was a “Wild comeback for Denver, which escapes with an OT win over Portland after being down 16 in the fourth and now is the heavy favorite to get the third seed out West with the injuries the Lakers have suffered.”

With a 51-28 record, Denver is a mere half a game ahead of the 50-28 Los Angeles. With its star scorers out against an indomitable OKC, the Lakers are no longer in control of their own destiny for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The depleted Lakers’ odds just got worse with LeBron James’ status

The Lakers’ had a hard climb to the third seed in the West when disaster struck. Since their last matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, their roster is falling apart at the seams. Luka Doncic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Austin Reaves suffered a Grade 2 oblique injury, and Marcus Smart was already sidelined with a problematic ankle. That’s discounting the 43-point humiliation they suffered against the reigning champions.

Ahead of their critical Tuesday night matchup against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, hopes of redemption are grim. The questionable status of LeBron James will likely force the Lakers to prioritize health over playoff positioning.

Doncic has currently flown to Spain to expedite his recovery process under Europe’s cutting edge sports medicine. Reaves and Smart are also aiming for comeback in the first week of the playoffs against all odds. However, James’ status compounds the situation. Despite JJ Redick not wanting to tax a 41-year-old’s endurance, the team is expected to rely on Bron’s playmaking in Doncic and Reaves’ absences.

If the Nuggets had lost tonight, the Lakers would’ve had breathing room for the final week of the regular season. Instead, the Nuggets’ ninth straight win and the Houston Rockets being only one game away has essentially locked Los Angeles into a dogfight to even stay in the fourth spot.

Without LeBron James, the Lakers could fall to the fifth spot in 48 hours. The only hope is he’s not completely ruled out. We’d still have to see which players will get more minutes in crucial games that will decide if the Lakers start their postseason on the road without three of its best players.