The shorthanded Lakers will face another opponent significantly affected by COVID-19, the Chicago Bulls, to cap off their current three-game road trip on Sunday. The Lakers will be without Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard while the Bulls (who will be playing their first game in eight days) still won’t have Zach LaVine, Ayo Dosunmu, Alize Johnson and Tony Bradley Jr. due to health and safety protocols.
The Bulls and Lakers’ unfortunate situations are just a microcosm of the wave of COVID cases currently engulfing the NBA:
And as if the Lakers needed any more adversity, Anthony Davis suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee in the team’s Friday loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves after Jaden McDaniels accidentally collided with his leg.