Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns matchup, Josh Hart did not participate in the contact portion of practice but was still expected to play for the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers.
Dealing with a bothersome knee, Hart suited up but only finished with five points, one rebound, two assists and one block in 17 minutes. While it was clearly not Hart’s best statistical game, he initially looked much better physically with an early 3-pointer and slam dunk.
Unfortunately, head coach Luke Walton revealed Hart asked to come out during the 116-102 win over the Suns.
“He asked to come out in the second half. He’s got bad tendinitis right now,” Walton said. “He’ll get treatment again tomorrow. See how he’s feeling, and most likely I would assume he does not practice tomorrow.”
With LeBron James (groin strain), Lonzo Ball (ankle) and Kyle Kuzma (hip strain) all not playing against the Suns, the injuries continue to pile up for the Lakers.
As Walton did not want Kuzma to further injure himself, it will likely be a similar situation for Hart, who recently dealt with back spasms.
While they snapped a three-game losing streak, it does not get any easier for the Lakers as they host the Philadelphia 76ers before beginning a six-game road trip.
However, James reportedly could return at the start of that stretch against the Clippers.
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