The race for the NBA postseason is heating up quickly, and teams across the land are jockeying for optimal positioning. That, of course, includes the Los Angeles Lakers, who find themselves needing wins in bunches after losing many games they should’ve won earlier this season.
They are ninth in the Western Conference at 38-32 and are 1 1/2 games ahead of 10th-place Golden State. The Houston Rockets, who are in 11th place, are also on L.A.’s heels. They’re just three games behind LeBron James’ crew and have an eight-game winning streak.
Los Angeles faces yet another challenging game on Sunday, this time against the high-powered Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, it will have to go to battle without one of its biggest weapons. D’Angelo Russell will not play due to illness.
D’Angelo Russell is out tonight, per the Lakers, with a non-COVID illness.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 25, 2024
This is a big blow to the team’s chances on Sunday. It is 0-5 without Russell this season.
While he has had a few bad games lately, he has, by and large, been on an extended heater. Russell is averaging 21.8 points and 6.6 assists while shooting 45.1% from 3-point range in his last 30 games.