SUMMARY
- LeBron James and Anthony Davis are listed questionable for the game against New York Knicks because of injuries.
- New York Knicks coming with a 9-game winning streak, boasting a record of 32 wins and 17 losses
The No. 9 seeded California team is set to have a face-off against the New York Knicks on February 3, 2024, at Madison Square Garden. For the Los Angeles Lakers, it will be the fifth of the six-game road trip. The Lakers currently hold a record of 25 wins and 25 losses and might be planning to sustain the one-game winning streak.
On the other hand, the New York Knicks are coming off a nine-game winning streak, with a record of 32 wins and 17 losses. Standing at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, the team is deriving results from the OG Anunoby trade, as it seems. In comparison to the Knicks, the Lakers seem to be struggling to adjust to the ever-evolving lineups and the new gimmicks of head coach Darvin Ham.
As the two teams get ready to face off against each other, the fans might be interested in finding out more about the injury reports. Furthermore, the expected starting lineups and other nuances might pique fans’ interest. Adding to the rhetoric, the prediction about which team might sweep the hardwood can sound more enticing, right?
LeBron James doesn’t look healthy for the New York Knicks vs. the Los Angeles Lakers game tonight
LeBron James has been suffering from a left ankle peroneal tendinopathy for a while now. This injury alone made the superstar player miss the stunning 114-105 prime-time against the Boston Celtics on February 1, 2024. As per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the star forward has been upgraded to a ‘questionable’ status before facing off against the Knicks.
Lakers’ injury report vs. New York tomorrow: pic.twitter.com/bUMHUdUMZS
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 2, 2024
Anthony Davis seems to be riding in the same boat as of late. The power forward/center is dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy with left hip spasms. Due to these injuries, ‘The Brow’ has missed the last two games now. Davis has also been upgraded to the ‘questionable’ status. Apart from these two, Cam Reddish, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt are ‘out’ owing to ankle, knee, and foot injuries, respectively.
As far as the Knicks are concerned, OG Anunody is classified as ‘questionable’ owing to an elbow injury. Whether he will record minutes in the game or not will be a game-time decision, it seems. Apart from that, Julius Randle, Quentin Grimes, and Mitchell Robinson are ‘out’ for the night.
New York Knicks injury report
- OG Anunoby (questionable)
- Julius Randle (out)
- Quentin Grimes (out)
- Mitchell Robinson (out)
New York Knicks expected starting lineup
- Jalen Brunson
- Donte DiVincenzo
- Josh Hart
- Precious Achiuwa
- Isaiah Hartenstein
Los Angeles Lakers injury report
- LeBron James (questionable)
- Anthony Davis (questionable)
- Cam Reddish (out)
- Gabe Vincent (out)
- Jarred Vanderbilt (out)
Los Angeles Lakers expected starting lineup
- D’Angelo Russell
- Austin Reaves
- Taurean Prince
- Rui Hachimura
- Jaxson Hayes
The Knicks are slightly favored over the Lakers
After acquiring OG Anunoby and Achiuwa from the Toronto Raptors, the Knicks have recorded 15-3. Not only has the team outperformed all the other franchises in terms of defense, but the seventh-best offensive rating (119.0) speaks a ton about the well-equipped roster. The team has been exhibiting a championship-caliber performance lately, while the Lakers are trailing in terms of offense.
The last time the two teams went face-to-face was on December 18, 2023, at the Crypto.com Arena. Although the Lakers were playing on their home court, the team succumbed to a tragic loss, trailing by a 5-point score. Jalen Brunson of the Knicks amassed a massive 29-point score, while ‘King James’ could only register 25 points that night.
Brunson might have some backcourt advantage, as Vanderbilt is out for the night. On top of that, if the team goes without James in this matchup, then it goes without saying that the players will have to maintain a balanced scoring effect. However, the inconsistent performance of the rotation players this season makes it hard to believe that the team will outshine the hard-nosed defense of the Knicks.