The NBA All-Star Break was supposed to be an opportunity for the Los Angeles Lakers to get the rest they needed to get healthy for the final stretch of the season. While that may have been the case for them, the injury report is already starting to pile up again.
At practice on Saturday, Frank Vogel announced that Marc Gasol and Kostas Antetokounmpo will miss at least the next two games due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Then, later in the day, the team announced that Alex Caruso had been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol after suffering a head contusion against the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
But the biggest injury news from the Lakers’ locker room came on Sunday, when the team announced that Jared Dudley had suffered a torn MCL. Dudley missed Friday’s game with a right knee contusion, but further testing revealed a right MCL tear.
Suffice to say, the Lakers will be going into their final matchup of the season with the Golden State Warriors on Monday a little shorthanded and the Warriors are coming off of an impressive win over the Utah Jazz. If the Lakers can overcome their injuries and beat the Warriors on Monday, though, they’ll retake the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets coming up. Let’s call it a golden opportunity.
The Lakers and Warriors will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.