Injuries sidelined Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard last week, as the 2021-22 season remains particularly unlucky for the Los Angeles Lakers when it comes to players’ health.
Anthony suffered a hamstring strain in the 111-110 loss to the L.A. Clippers on Feb. 3. Meanwhile, back soreness ruled out Howard ahead of Saturday’s 122-115 win over the New York Knicks.
Head coach Frank Vogel said the center missed practice on Monday, casting a shadow over his return for the upcoming clash with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Meanwhile, Vogel revealed the Tuesday matchup with the Bucks would come too soon for Anthony to make his return, confirming the 37-year-old forward will miss his third straight game with the hamstring injury.
“He’s going to be out tomorrow. I know that,” the head coach said of Anthony’s status.
“I don’t know the game after that, second night of a back-to-back. We’re going to be cautious with it. Make sure it’s not something that doesn’t linger, so for now we’ll be listing him as out tomorrow.”
Lakers’ status report for tomorrow’s game: pic.twitter.com/PFqK3VnpMr
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 7, 2022
Vogel still couldn’t provide a timeline for Kendrick Nunn’s return. Nunn has not made a single appearance in 2021-22 due to a bone bruise, which he suffered in the preseason.
“There was some more on-the-court work, but still not really ramped up where he’s close to playing,” Vogel said.
LeBron James should play against the Bucks after making his comeback from a knee injury in the win over the Knicks.
James doesn’t rule out Lakers making trades before Thursday’s deadline
NBA teams have just three more days to get deals done before the league reaches the trade deadline on Thursday at 12 p.m. PT.
The Lakers have been rumored to have shown interest in the likes of Myles Turner and Jerami Grant, although no reports have claimed L.A. is close to trading for a player.
However, James said the Purple and Gold will search for chances to strengthen the roster before the Thursday deadline.
“If you have an opportunity to get better, no one turns that down,” the four-time NBA champion said.
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