After being dethroned as NBA Cup champions, the Los Angeles Lakers are actually eyeing a much bigger prize after they return from a short hiatus to face the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night time.
The large query: Will LeBron James be with them?
Like most NBA groups, the Lakers had Monday by way of Wednesday off this week to permit the basketball world to deal with the NBA Cup closing between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
The Bucks received the Cup, including their title to the record of champions alongside the Lakers, with a victory towards the Thunder on Tuesday night time in Las Vegas.
James returned from a two-game absence to contribute 18 factors, eight assists and eight rebounds in 34 minutes within the Lakers’ 116-110 dwelling victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
Lower than two weeks after his fortieth birthday, James indicated after the match that taking eight days off helped his ailing left foot.
Lakers coach JJ Redick famous that every time James performs ahead, will probably be in shorter durations. The longer term Corridor of Famer was listed as questionable Friday.
“Not essentially much less minutes,” Redick mentioned, “however shorter runs so he doesn’t get gassed, then faster segments on the bench, then he’s again.
“If he feels good and he feels good, then he ought to play. However we clearly need to handle that as greatest we will.”
James recorded a triple-double the final time the Lakers confronted the Kings in Los Angeles in October. After Thursday’s competitors, the golf equipment will meet once more Saturday in Sacramento to finish an NBA-style doubleheader.
The Lakers and Kings enter the post-NBA Cup portion of the schedule in a seven-team battle for sixth place within the Western Convention and the 4 play-in spots. The seven groups are separated by two video games.
Regardless of eight losses of their final 12 video games, the Lakers occupy the final play-in place. The Kings, who’ve misplaced eight of 13, are two video games behind Los Angeles (and three different groups).
Sacramento can be a better recreation if it might have closed out the visiting Denver Nuggets on Monday. Nonetheless, DeMar DeRozan missed a possible game-winning shot within the closing seconds, sending the Kings right into a two-day break with a 130-129 loss.
Kings coach Mike Brown warned his gamers after Denver’s loss that they wanted to strengthen their inside protection forward of the sport towards the Lakers and Anthony Davis.
“We gave up 76 factors within the paint,” he mentioned. “That is the place our crew must develop. We have to deal with the main points. We have most likely had extra outs in a single recreation than we have had all 12 months. Till our guys deal with the main points, we’ll be a very good crew, however we’re not going to get the place we have to go.”
The optimistic aspect of the loss was the play of Doug McDermott, who scored 16 factors in a uncommon begin with Keegan Murray out with left ankle soreness.
The Kings hope to have Murray again for Thursday’s recreation, though he, Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Domantas Sabonis (again) have all been listed as questionable.
