SUMMARY
- The Lakers were hosting the last five games from January 3, 2024, to January 11, 2024, at the Crypto.com Arena.
- The team now has a record of winning just five of the last 12 games.
The Los Angeles Lakers are now riding on a two-game losing streak as the team lost to the Jazz in the first road game. The Lakers were hosting the last five games from January 3, 2024, to January 11, 2024, at the Crypto.com Arena. However, the California team could just register a win in two of them. The team has found itself moving in a spiral as the bad scores have still maintained the sub.500 mark.
After closely flirting with yet another double-digit loss in 2024, the team now has a record of winning just five of the last 12 games. The Lakers last won against the Utah Jazz on November 21, 2023. A fact worth noting here is that the then-record roster had LeBron James healthy and equipped to take on the opposition, unlike the game on January 13, when James sat out the match owing to a left ankle injury.
Injury update: LeBron is out tonight at Utah due to left ankle peroneal tendinopathy.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 13, 2024
To make it more specific, the 39-year-old forward is suffering from peroneal tendinopathy in his left ankle. Although the player was listed as ‘questionable’ before the Utah Jazz vs. Lakers matchup, he ended up not playing on the hardwood. The Los Angeles Lakers are riding on 19 wins and 21 losses now, standing at No. 11 in the Western Conference.
If only D’Angelo Russell hadn’t thrown a 39-point performance, the night would mark the fourth two-digit loss for the roster. What’s astonishing is that the Lakers lost the last three games against the Jazz, in which James was not playing. Apart from tonight’s loss, the James-less Lakers lost vs. Jazz on November 7, 2022 (116-139), and before this on March 31, 2022 (109-122).
Maintaining his record, the legend has just missed a few games this season, and the Lakers seemed to manage a win in two of these.
How many games has LeBron James missed this season?
As the mid-season mark is about to hit the league, the Lakers roster is still facing the implication of a lack of front-court coverage. As Cam Reddish and Gabe Vincent were out tonight, the absence of ‘King James’ made matters worse for the roster. As per Statmuse, the roster has registered gameplay in 40 games this season.
Although the team has been facing recurrent losses, it’s astonishing to know that ‘The King of Longevity’ has just missed four games this season. Apart from tonight’s game against the Jazz, James sat out on December 22, 2023, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers sustained a 7-point loss and were trailing behind the Wolves as the game ended.
The LeBron James-less Lakers faced off against the San Antonio Spurs on December 14, 2023, as well. The roster managed to win this one, along with the one on November 13, 2023, against the Trail Blazers. The Lakers scored 122-119 against the Spurs and 116-110 against Portland.