The Los Angeles Lakers are navigating a tough stretch of the season. LA recently lost superstar Luka Doncic to a hamstring injury, and the team has now fallen into a middling record, losing three of their last seven. Now, as they prepare to take on the surging San Antonio Spurs tonight, they’re going to be even more shorthanded.

According to the injury report, the team will be missing both of its previously available stars, Austin Reaves and LeBron James. According to head coach JJ Redick, Reaves has not yet been cleared to play in back-to-backs following his return from a calf strain against the Brooklyn Nets a week ago.

Meanwhile, James is managing his arthritis, a case that surfaced earlier this season, and he woke up feeling sore, ruling him out tonight. He joins Marcus Smart, who also felt sore today following an ankle tweak in the fourth quarter of last night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Apart from all of these injuries, starting center Deandre Ayton was a game time decision, later being ruled out, which meant that the Lakers ran with an extremely depleted starting lineup. The team ran with recently signed two-way guard Kobe Bufkin, trade deadline acquisition Luke Kennard, versatile forwards Jake LaRavia and Rui Hachimura, and backup big man Jaxson Hayes.

This game is probably the most devastated the Lakers‘ lineup has been from injuries all season, and the majority of the offensive load tonight will likely be carried by Hachimura, as he tries to stabilize JJ Redick’s squad without their usual perimeter creators in Doncic and Reaves.

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Spurs Ride Momentum Into Lakers Showdown Without Austin Reaves, LeBron James

The San Antonio Spurs are entering tonight’s game on a four-game winning streak, looking to match their season-best stretch from earlier in the year before the start of the All-Star break. The Spurs are still rolling from Stephon Castle’s career night, logging a 40-point triple-double, Victor Wembanyama continuing his dominant third season, and looking to finish a sweep of the season series against the Lakers this season.

LA, meanwhile, are trying to regroup after a 119-110 loss to the Western Conference leading OKC Thunder, snapping a three-game winning streak without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For now, LA’s big three are taking the night off with various injuries, with LeBron James taking yet another back-to-back off, and Austin Reaves managing his recently recovered calf after struggling in the second half of yesterday’s loss.

With limited turnaround and yet another top Western faceoff looming, JJ Redick’s Lakers need to recalibrate fast. Beating elite teams needs both effort and precision, which has been a sore spot for LA all season, and against a confident Spurs squad, the margin for error is thin.