The Los Angeles Lakers owned one of the better records in the NBA since the calendar flipped to 2018, but had their momentum and success stalled by injuries. Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram were seemingly lost simultaneously, and Isaiah Thomas has missed the past two games.
There’s been hope over the past week that Ingram is on the verge of returning, Hart is targeting Friday’s game, but there isn’t yet any clarity on Thomas. The former MVP candidate is still dealing with a hip injury that called for a lengthy rehab and delayed Thomas’ debut this season until January.