The Los Angeles Lakers will be seeking a third consecutive win when they face off against the Clippers on Saturday night. It will be the second game of the season between the two teams, as the Lakers bested the Clippers in an NBA Cup Group Stage game in late November.
The Lakers will be missing a few key contributors against the Clippers on Saturday night. Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Gabe Vincent have all been ruled out of the contest due to various ailments. The good news for the Lakers, though, is that superstar forward LeBron James will be available for the contest.
LeBron James will play vs. Clippers on Saturday night
James isn't listed on the official injury report for the contest, meaning that he'll be good to go. It will be the fifth consecutive game played by James, but just the 11th on the season overall.
In his 10 appearances so far, James is averaging 18.6 points, 7.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. He tallied 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in the first game against the Clippers.
The two L.A. Teams have been going in different directions this season. The Lakers sit fourth in the Western Conference standings with a record of 19-7 and look like legitimate contenders. Meanwhile, the Clippers are 14th in the conference at 6-21 and appear destined for a lottery landing. They've lost five consecutive games heading into the matchup with the Lakers.
Following the game on Saturday night, L.A.'s two teams will face each other two more times later in the season – once in January and once in February.