After being dethroned as NBA Cup champions, the Los Angeles Lakers at the moment are setting their sights on an even bigger prize after they return from a quick break to face the Sacramento Kings on Thursday evening.
The massive query: Will LeBron James be with them?
Like most NBA groups, the Lakers got Monday by means of Wednesday off this week to permit the basketball world to deal with the NBA Cup remaining between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Bucks secured the Cup, including their identify to the checklist of champions alongside the Lakers, with a victory over the Thunder on Tuesday evening 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 residence win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
Less than two weeks from his fortieth birthday, James indicated after the sport that taking eight days off had helped his ailing left foot.
Lakers coach J.J. Redick famous that at any time when James performs shifting ahead, will probably be in shorter stints. The future Hall of Famer was listed as questionable for Friday.
“Not necessarily less minutes,” Redick mentioned, “however shorter runs in order that he isn’t getting gassed, after which faster segments on the bench, after which he is again in.
“If he’s feeling well and feeling good, then he should play. But we obviously want to manage that as best we can.”
James recorded a triple-double when the Lakers final confronted the Kings in Los Angeles in October. After Thursday’s contest, the golf equipment will meet once more on Saturday in Sacramento to finish an NBA-style doubleheader.
The Lakers and Kings enter the post-NBA Cup portion of the schedule locked in a seven-team battle for sixth place within the Western Conference and the 4 play-in spots. The seven groups are separated by two video games.
Despite dropping eight occasions of their previous 12 video games, the Lakers maintain 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 sport nearer had it been in a position to shut out the visiting Denver Nuggets on Monday. However, DeMar DeRozan missed a possible game-winning shot within the remaining seconds, sending the Kings right into a two-day break with a 130-129 defeat.
Kings coach Mike Brown cautioned his gamers after the Denver loss that they should step up their inside protection forward of the matchup with the Lakers and Anthony Davis.
“We gave up 76 points in the paint,” he mentioned. “This is where our team needs to grow. We have to lock into the details. We got back-cut more times in one game probably than we got back-cut all year. Until our guys lock into the details, we’re going to be a good team, but we’re not going to be where we need to go.”
A silver lining within the defeat was the play of Doug McDermott, who scored 16 factors in a uncommon begin with Keegan Murray out as a consequence of a sore left ankle.
The Kings hope to have Murray again for Thursday’s sport, although he, Kevin Huerter (shoulder), and Domantas Sabonis (again) have been all listed as questionable.
Source: www.dailysabah.com