The 16-6 Los Angeles Lakers’ impending showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday could be missing some critical All-Stars.
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Per a recent NBA injury report, 21-time All-NBA forward LeBron James is considered questionable to play through a right sciatica injury and left foot joint arthritis. Former three-time All-Defensive Team guard Marcus Smart will miss a sixth consecutive game with a left lumbar muscle strain.
Smart, 31, has been a critical component to LA’s surprising early-season success, looking like he has far more left in the tank than this writer at least would have suspected when he inked a two-year, $10.2 million deal with the club this summer.
Still, as a physical, defense-first guard on the wrong side of 30 (he’s 31), Smart has already missed ample time with injury issues. Prior to the lumbar issue, he also missed three games with other health problems, meaning he’ll have played in just 14 of a possible 23 games after Sunday.
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The 40-year-old James has only been available for six contests. Should he miss Sunday’s tilt, he’ll have been out for 17 bouts already — putting him right at the 65-game threshold typically needed for players to earn end-of-year honors.
On the Philadelphia side, 2023 MVP center Joel Embiid is considered probable to play through a left knee issue, which the team has been managing all year. Former nine-time All-Star Paul George, too, is considered probable to play through a left knee ailment.
This story will be updated…
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