The Los Angeles Lakers have been surging, winning six of nine games since newcomers D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley made their debuts.
The Lakers badly need more wins to have at least a shot at returning to the NBA playoffs, but they also need to get healthy.
LeBron James suffered a right foot tendon injury about a week ago, and he’s expected to be out for at least three weeks.
Russell has been sidelined for about a week and a half because of a sprained ankle he sustained on Feb. 23 versus the Golden State Warriors.
But there is a chance he plays on Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies, as his status for that game has been upgraded to questionable.
D’Angelo Russell is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game vs. MEM, upgraded from doubtful. He’s missed the Lakers last five games with a sprained ankle.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 7, 2023
Head coach Darvin Ham said on Sunday that Russell had progressed a bit in his rehab from the injury.
Having him back would give Los Angeles a major shot in the arm, as it badly needs his ability to score efficiently from all three levels, create open shots for teammates and ignite additional fast-break and early offense opportunities.
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