The Los Angeles Lakers continue to badly need wins in bunches, especially now that, with a 19-20 record, they have fallen to 11th place in the Western Conference.
They will face the Utah Jazz, a team that has been hot lately and is in 10th place in the West, on Saturday. The Jazz are on a four-game winning streak and have won 10 of their last 12, and in those 12 contests, they have been one of the NBA’s highest-scoring teams.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they continue to play Whac-A-Mole when it comes to injuries. While forward Rui Hachimura is available on Saturday after missing their last five games with a calf issue, LeBron James will not play due to an ankle ailment.
LeBron James is out tonight in UTA after turning his left ankle in the loss to PHX, per the Lakers.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 13, 2024
At just about the midway point of the season, James has so far managed to stay relatively healthy. This will be just the fourth game of the season he will miss.
