Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both ruled out of Thursday night’s national televised game against the East-leading Celtics due to “active” injuries, which coach Darvin Ham says the team had been monitoring all season.
The team stated that James has a left ankle issue. Davis sat with Achilles tendon pain and left hip spasms.
“I became slightly irritated. But we let them go through the shootaround and see how it went,” Ham stated before the game. “It was determined ultimately that they would be out for the game.”
He did not specify how long either player will be sidelined.
It was the first time this season that both players sat out the same game for the Lakers, who are looking to improve their place in a tight Western Conference playoff race. Los Angeles began the day ranked tenth.
James has appeared in 44 of the Lakers’ 49 games this season. Davis has played in 46 games this season.
Davis has missed two games in a row on the Lakers’ current six-game road trip. James played 36 minutes and had 20 points in the Lakers’ 138-122 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday. It was their second consecutive double-digit loss, bringing their season record to 24-25.
Ham announced that forward Jarred Vanderbilt and center Jaxson Hayes would start in place of James and Davis. They will be joined onstage by D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Taurean Prince.
“We have guys in the locker room that are still highly competitive, highly skilled still without our two big dogs,” he said. “Do not try to put oneself on an island. “Just go out and try to do it as a group.”
