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The Los Angeles Lakers will need some inspired performances from the guys at the very end of their bench if they want to upset the Houston Rockets on Tuesday as the Lakers have ruled out three crucial players.
According to Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Bresnahan, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma will not be available for Los Angeles on Tuesday and there’s a good chance they’ll miss out on the Lakers’ season final Wednesday against the Clippers.
Kyle Kuzma (sprained ankle) will not play tonight. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are still out.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) April 10, 2018
Ingram being evaluated again tonight for concussion symptoms, though unlikely to play tomorrow in finale even if he’s declared to be free from concussion protocol.
Head coach Luke Walton all but ruled out the trio of rising stars earlier this month, but this latest news just affirms the belief that neither Ball, Ingram or Kuzma will be return this season. Combined, they have missed 55 games this season, with Ball missing the most games (28) of anyone on the team due to injury.
While it would have been nice to see them all on the floor one last time before the summer break, it makes sense why the training staff wouldn’t want to risk injury with two games left in the NBA regular season and playoffs out of the question.
In an effort to expand their rotation, the Lakers signed G League veteran Andre Ingram for the remainder of the season, which wraps up on Wednesday. The Lakers will likely roll with the same starters they’ve turned to in their last two games.