Ahead of Friday’s game in Denver, Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed optimism about the impending return of LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes, all of whom are dealing with injuries.
Redick told reporters the trio is “very close to returning,” with James recovering from a groin strain that has kept him out of the past three games, while Hachimura and Hayes battle knee issues.
Despite the promising update, the Lakers suffered a 114-108 loss to the Nuggets, marking their fourth consecutive defeat to end a road trip.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic is dealing with a lingering left calf injury and a sprained right ankle. He is considered day-to-day.
Austin Reaves again stood out as a bright spot for the Lakers in the defeat, delivering a remarkable performance despite his own injury concerns. After sustaining a right wrist injury in Milwaukee on Thursday, Reaves was unsure if he would play — but ended up contributing 37 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, and four steals in 39 minutes of action.
“We know when we’re fully healthy and got everybody on the team that we have a really good chance to beat anybody,” Reaves said. “I just see this group coming together, locking in on one common goal, and that’s to win.
“And tonight, I think, is the biggest testament to that. Very shorthanded, went and played a really good basketball team with probably the best player in the world. And went toe-to-toe and had an opportunity to win it. We just didn’t execute the last 50 seconds.”
The Lakers (40-25) are now a game back of the Grizzlies for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
The #Cavs survived another grind it out game against a tough Memphis team that came to play. #LetEmKnow
"Teams get up to play against us."
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— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) March 15, 2025
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