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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves posts 19/3/4/3/2 line in Game 5 loss
Mon, Apr 29, 2024, 7:00 PM
Austin Reaves provided a scoring boost on Monday with 19 points (6-of-11 FGs), three rebounds, four assists, three steals, two blocks and one triple against Denver.
Analysis: Reaves came alive in the fourth quarter and had nine points over the final six minutes of the game as the Lakers traded leads with the Nuggets. It didn't end up being enough to keep their season alive, but Reaves was still able to turn in a solid stat line. This was year one of a four year deal that has been a bargain for the Lakers. That flexibility should allow the Lakers to reload this summer, with Reaves being one of the only players outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis that should be a safe bet to be wearing purple and gold again next season. |
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LeBron James LeBron James pours in 30/9/11/4 in Game 5 loss
Mon, Apr 29, 2024, 6:53 PM
LeBron James led the Lakers with 30 points (11-of-21 FGs), nine rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and three triples in a 108-106 loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 on Monday.
Analysis: While it certainly won't mean much, LeBron played well in this series and closed it out with another excellent performance. He averaged 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.0 block and 2.0 triples while shooting 56.6% from the floor through the five-game series, which was much closer than the gentlemen's sweep makes it look. The Lakers were outscored by a total of 11 points in five games and were at the mercy of two game-winning shots by Jamal Murray. Year 21 is over for LeBron, and there will be plenty of rumors about his future that start flying as early as Tuesday morning. |
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Anthony Davis Anthony Davis finishes with 17/15/4 line in loss
Mon, Apr 29, 2024, 6:46 PM
Anthony Davis recorded a double-double on Monday with 17 points (8-of-11 FGs), 15 rebounds, four assists and two blocks against Denver in Game 5.
Analysis: After a strong first half, AD exited the game briefly due to a left shoulder injury. While he was able to play through it, he really wasn't the same player after that. 16 of his 17 points came before halftime, and if he stayed healthy, the result of this game may have been different. AD has been banged up all season, but he was still able to play a career-high 77 games. Davis has been knocked in fantasy hoops over the last few years by his lack of games played, but he may have flipped the script this season. He should go earlier in drafts next season, with managers hoping that he will be healthy once again. |
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LeBron James LeBron James, Anthony Davis available for Game 5
Mon, Apr 29, 2024, 3:20 PM
Mike Trudell on X
LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) and Anthony Davis (left wrist sprain) will play in Game 5 against Denver on Monday.
Analysis: Both of LA's superstars will play in Game 5 as they look to stay alive for at least one more game. They secure a home win in Game 4 and will now have to get a victory in Denver in order to extend their season by another game. |
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Jarred Vanderbilt Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) cleared to play in Game 5
Mon, Apr 29, 2024, 3:13 PM
Khobi Price on X
Jarred Vanderbilt (right mid-foot sprain) will play in Game 5 against the Nuggets on Monday.
Analysis: Vanderbilt hasn't played in nearly three months, but he will make his return in what could be their final game of the season. He'll give them a new look on the defensive end if Darvin Ham chooses to utilize him, but he likely won't see enough minutes to make an impact on this game. |
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Christian Wood Christian Wood (knee) picks up DNP-CD Saturday
Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 10:03 PM
Christian Wood (left knee surgery) did not play in Saturday's win over the Nuggets.
Analysis: Wood has not appeared in a game since February 14, so inserting him into a game of this magnitude may have been far-fetched. Lakers coach Darvin Ham stuck with his usual nine-man rotation, which may be the case as long as this series continues. Game 5 is on Monday in Denver. |
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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves tallies 21 points, six assists Sat.
Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:21 PM
Austin Reaves played 30 minutes in Saturday's Game 4 win over the Nuggets, accounting for 21 points (7-of-15 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), one rebound, six assists, and one 3-pointer in 30 minutes.
Analysis: After scoring 22 points in the first two games of this series, Reaves tallied 22 and 21 in the Lakers' two home games. He's been a more consistent supplementary scoring option than D'Angelo Russell, who bounced back from a brutal Game 3 to score 21 points in Game 4. While D'Lo may offer a higher ceiling to DFS players, Reaves may be the safer option for Game 5 on Monday in Denver. |
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D'Angelo Russell D'Angelo Russell bounces back, scores 21 points
Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:16 PM
D'Angelo Russell amassed 21 points (8-of-15 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and four 3-pointers in 41 minutes in the Lakers' Game 4 win over the Nuggets on Saturday.
Analysis: Despite the questions regarding whether or not he would change the starting lineup, Lakers coach Darvin Ham stuck with the same five with his team's season on the line. Russell, who went scoreless on 0-of-7 shooting in Game 3, rewarded his coach's faith, rebounding and scoring an efficient 21 points on Saturday. While Russell struggled throughout last season's Western Conference Finals, he has been up and down in this series. The Lakers will need him to break that trend in Game 5 on Monday if they're to force a Game 6. |
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Anthony Davis Anthony Davis corrals 23 rebounds in Game 4 win
Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:12 PM
Anthony Davis finished Saturday's 119-108 win over the Nuggets with 25 points (11-of-17 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), 23 rebounds, six assists, and one blocked shot in 42 minutes.
Analysis: With the Lakers' backs against the wall, Davis was sensational in Game 4. And individual performances were not an issue for him in the series' first three games. Davis matched his playoff career-high with 23 rebounds and was incredibly efficient on offense, shooting well above 50% from the field while only committing one turnover (with six assists). Davis is going to get his numbers. That much is certain. The question is how involved he will be offensively during crunch time. That did not appear to be an issue in Game 4, and the Lakers will need another dominant effort in Game 5 on Monday night in Denver. |
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LeBron James LeBron James tallies 30 points, full stat line
Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 5:08 PM
LeBron James played 39 minutes in Saturday's 119-108 win over the Nuggets, accounting for 30 points (14-of-23 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one blocked shot.
Analysis: James committed six turnovers, but the overall body of work was good enough to help the Lakers extend their season. He scored 14 of his team-high 30 points in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers broke even in the period (28-all). Add in only being a minus-2 in third-quarter points, a significant issue in the first three games of the series, and Darvin Ham's team lives to fight another day. Even if LeBron shows up on the injury report ahead of Monday's Game 5, look for him to approach (if not exceed) 40 minutes again. |
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LeBron James LeBron James (ankle) available Saturday vs. Denver
Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 1:42 PM
NBA Injury Report
LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) is available for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.
Analysis: James was initially probable for Game 4, so the status upgrade is unsurprising. He will take on his usual responsibilities as the Lakers look to extend their season. |
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Anthony Davis Anthony Davis (wrist) available to play in Game 4
Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 12:59 PM
Jovan Buha on X
Anthony Davis (left wrist sprain) will play in Game 4 against Denver on Saturday.
Analysis: Unsurprisingly, Davis will be available to play in this game. He'll need to have a big night to keep the series and their season alive for at least one more game. |
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Christian Wood Christian Wood (knee) will play in Game 4 vs. DEN
Sat, Apr 27, 2024, 12:55 PM
Khobi Price on X
Christian Wood (left knee surgery) will make his return to lineup for Game 4 against the Nuggets on Saturday.
Analysis: Wood will be available to play for the first time since before the All-Star break. However, Jaxson Hayes wasn't in the rotation in Game 3, and they may not want to include Wood in their rotation in an elimination game. He will be available if needed, but he may not see the floor. |
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Anthony Davis Anthony Davis (wrist) questionable for Saturday
Fri, Apr 26, 2024, 2:19 PM
Jacob Rude on X
Anthony Davis (left wrist sprain) is questionable to play against the Nuggets in Game 4 on Saturday.
Analysis: This could be the last game of their season. Davis isn't going to miss this one, no matter how bad he's hurting. He'll play a ton of minutes as they look to keep their season alive. |
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Christian Wood Christian Wood (knee) questionable for Game 4
Fri, Apr 26, 2024, 2:17 PM
Jacob Rude on X
Christian Wood (left knee surgery) is listed as questionable to play in Game 4 against the Nuggets on Saturday.
Analysis: Wood has been sidelined for over a month and initially was targeting a return in Game 3. He could end up making his return on Saturday, though he will only see a limited role off the bench. |
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LeBron James LeBron James (ankle) probable to play in Game 4
Fri, Apr 26, 2024, 2:15 PM
Jacob Rude on X
LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) is listed as probable to play in Game 4 against Denver on Saturday.
Analysis: LeBron continues to find himself on the injury report, but there is no way that he is missing a potential elimination game. He'll play as many minutes as he needs to in order to keep the series going. |
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D'Angelo Russell D'Angelo Russell goes scoreless in Game 3 loss
Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 7:33 PM
D'Angelo Russell missed all seven of his shot attempts in Thursday's 112-105 loss to the Nuggets, going scoreless with three rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 24 minutes.
Analysis: After bouncing back from a mediocre Game 1 with a quality effort in Game 2, there was hope that Russell could build on that 23-point night. That did not happen; he was 0-of-6 from three and 0-of-7 from the field overall. Due to his struggles, Russell lost minutes to Spencer Dinwiddie, who logged 22 and finished with eight points, two rebounds, and three assists. With the Lakers needing a win on Saturday to extend their season, it would be unsurprising if Darvin Ham did not wait long to pull Russell if he doesn't have it. If that happens, Dinwiddie and Gabe Vincent (four points, four rebounds in 20 minutes) will play more minutes. |
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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves records 22 points, four steals
Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 7:28 PM
Austin Reaves accumulated 22 points (8-of-17 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, four steals, and two 3-pointers in 41 minutes in Thursday's Game 3 loss to the Nuggets.
Analysis: Reaves was one of three Lakers starters to score at least 22 points, but that wasn't enough to avoid an 11th straight loss to the Nuggets. D'Angelo Russell going scoreless and Rui Hachimura finishing with five points certainly didn't help matters for the Lakers, who need a win on Saturday to extend their season. Reaves matched his point total from the first two games in Game 3 while accumulating four steals. That's positive momentum he can take into Game 4; whether or not it matters is another conversation, given Denver's mastery of the Lakers. |
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LeBron James LeBron James tallies 26 points, nine assists
Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 7:18 PM
LeBron James finished Thursday's Game 3 loss to the Nuggets with 26 points (12-of-20 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, nine assists, two steals, one block, and one 3-pointer in 42 minutes.
Analysis: After shooting 6-of-11 from three in Denver, LeBron's jumper betrayed him in Game 3. He finished Game 3 shooting 60% from the field overall but just 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Lakers have lost their last 11 games against the Nuggets, and James was on the court for ten. He's had a good statistical series through three games, but it hasn't mattered, as Denver has the Lakers' number. Look for LeBron to log heavy minutes in Game 4 on Saturday, as the Lakers need a win to keep their season alive. |
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Anthony Davis Anthony Davis records 33/15/3/1 line in Game 3
Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 7:12 PM
Anthony Davis shot 14-of-23 from the field and 5-of-7 from the foul line in Thursday's 112-105 loss to the Nuggets, accounting for 33 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 43 minutes.
Analysis: Davis did take more shots in the fourth quarter of Game 3 (three) than in Game 2 (one), but it did not matter as the Lakers suffered an 11th straight loss to the Nuggets. He has produced quality individual stat lines when playing against Nikola Jokic, but it has not impacted winning. Look for Davis to play heavy minutes in Game 4 on Saturday, as the Lakers need a win to extend their season. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the odds aren't in their favor, given recent history. |
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