After a 2nd half surge sank the Nuggets on Friday, the Lakers (12-16) are back in action against the Wizards (11-19) on Sunday. The game tips off at 6:30 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN Radio 710.
Below are three things to know ahead of the matchup:
AD OUT
In the 1st quarter of the Friday's game against the Nuggets, Anthony Davis drove around Nikola Jokic for a reverse layup but, when he came down, was clearly bothered with some sort of lower leg issue. And while he played the rest of quarter and even part of the next (while clearly laboring), he did not come out from the locker room to begin the 2nd half with what the team called a "right foot injury".
In terms of what this means tonight, Davis will not play vs. the Wizards as we wait for an official medical update. With AD out, the Lakers can lean on their experiences from the Nuggets, Cavs and Raptors games (where Davis was either limited or missed the game with the flu) as a guide to how to handle his absence.
Of course, no single player can replicate Davis or even approximate all he does to help the team in any given game. Thomas Bryant will functionally replace AD in the lineup and his ability to score the ball and attack the backboards (particularly on the offensive end) will be of great value, but it will take a group effort in all facets of the game to come close to replacing AD's production and to fill in the gaps where he covers up for this specific roster's challenges.
ANOTHER LEBRON MILESTONE
In what has become commonplace over the last several seasons, LeBron climbed up another all-time rankings list on Friday when he passed Hakeem Olajuwon for 9th in the league's history in total steals.
LeBron has now tallied 2,163 steals in his career. Over the course of his 20 seasons, LeBron has never averaged fewer than 1.1 steals a game (2020-21 season) while his high in a season 2.2 per game (2004-05). At his current pace of 1.3 thefts a night, LeBron should also hurdle Clyde Drexler into 8th on the all-time list at some point this season.
MATCHUP WITH THE WIZARDS
The last time these teams played exactly two weeks ago, Anthony Davis absolutely dominated Washington to the tune of 55 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocked shots. LeBron (29 points) and Lonnie Walker (20 points) were the only other Lakers to score in double figures en route to their 130-119 victory in Washington. Since that game, the Wizards have lost six straight games and have dropped nine consecutive overall -- including a game yesterday vs. the Clippers.
With Davis unavailable, LeBron's ability to replicate his production and carry the load offensively becomes much more important. Against Denver, LeBron scored at least 30 points for the third consecutive game, becoming the oldest player to achieve this since Michael Jordan accomplished the feat in 2002 as a member of the Wizards. With MJ's former team in town, Coach Ham would certainly love to see LeBron extend that streak to four games.
LeBron, however, will need help offensively and, like the Nuggets game where seven Lakers scored in double figures, it will need to be a group effort. Lonnie Walker, Austin Reaves, and Russell Westbrook are all strong candidates to pick up some of the slack, but the team will surely look for Thomas Bryant to build on his performance against Denver and play well against his former team.
Bryant won't have it easy, facing a much taller player in Kristaps Porzingis, but he can use his strength and motor when changing ends to establish the type of inside position that can lead to shots in the paint. And if Bryant can get some easy baskets in transition, it will go a long way in helping to supplement some of the production gone with Davis out.
Defensively the Lakers will be challenged by Kyle Kuzma and Porzingis, both of whom have the ability to pour in the points from all over the court. And while it was Kuzma who had the bigger game back in Washington, the prospect of dealing with Porzingis' size and scoring versatility without AD is daunting.
That said, with Bradley Beal unavailable due to a hamstring injury, however, the Lakers will have additional resources to throw at both players and could certainly mix in different defensive looks -- including zone looks -- in the hopes of slowing both players.