Lakers Injury News: Josh Hart Tweaks Hamstring During Practice, May Miss Preseason Game Vs. Warriors

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton said Josh Hart was pulled out of Monday’s practice due to a “tweaked” hamstring. Hart will undergo evaluation and an update on his status will be provided by the team on Tuesday.

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Walton wasn’t yet certain of Hart’s status moving forward, and specifically for Wednesday’s preseason game in Las Vegas against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers will play the Warriors again on Friday to conclude their exhibition schedule.

Hart thus far has appeared in each of their four preseason games, making two starts. After consecutive games in the lineup, he was moved back to the bench over the weekend when the Lakers faced the Clippers.

The 23-year-old is averaging 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 27 minutes per game. Hart is competing against Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to earn the starting job at shooting guard come the regular season.

Hart had an impressive finish to his rookie campaign and rode that success into the offseason. He convinced the Lakers to allow him to play more than one game in Sacramento and Las Vegas, and went on to earn Las Vegas Summer League MVP.

Walton has been pleased with what he’s seen from his young guard, regardless of whether or not Hart has started or appeared off the bench.

If Hart is to miss any time, the situation would mirror last year when he suffered an ankle sprain during Summer League, hamstring strain at the outset of training camp, and Achilles strain as the regular season was on the horizon.

Although the Lakers are facing some injury concern with Hart, the expectation remains Lonzo Ball will make his preseason debut in Las Vegas. LeBron James is also due to be back in the lineup after receiving a game off for rest.

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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