Lakers Injury Update: D’Angelo Russell plays three-on-three, Nick Young ‘unlikely’ to play against Knicks

The Los Angeles Lakers have sorely missed their starting backcourt of D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young, and while the two aren’t guaranteed to be returning just yet, they might be back soon.

Russell participated in three-on-three scrimmaging to end the Lakers’ Saturday practice, and head coach Luke Walton told reporters there is a “chance” he could play on Sunday against the New York Knicks. The team will wait to see how Russell’s knee responds to the light work before deciding if he’s ready to get back in the lineup. The Lakers are 3-8 when Russell doesn’t play this season.

According to Walton, Young is less likely to suit up on Sunday. The Lakers’ starting shooting guard has missed the team’s last six games with a calf strain, and the team is 1-5 over that time.

The Lakers did get at least some good news on the injury front. Julius Randle is expected to play on Sunday after injuring his hip against the Suns, according to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News.

Los Angeles’ locker room has doubled as a hospital ward over the last several weeks, but it sounds like the ailing team may be back closer to full strength over the next week or so, welcome news as they hit the road for a seven-game road trip following their contest against the Knicks.

Harrison Faigen is co-host of the Locked on Lakers podcast (subscribe here), and you can follow him on Twitter at @hmfaigen.