Key Highlights
- Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics play a national game on Amazon Prime Video on Friday night. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt's a marquee, rivalry showdown.
- But the action on the court will be quite shorthanded. The Lakers' injury report is ugly. The only good news is that Jaylen Brown is back after missing Thursday night's Celtics win. MORE: LeBron James' 10-point streak ends in the most LeBron James way possibleLos Angeles Lakers injury reportTwo players are listed as out for the Lakers:Luka Doncic (personal)Marcus Smart (left lumbar muscle strain)Doncic was out of town to be with his wife when she gave birth, so he gets a pass here.
- Smart had a chance at a return from injury and isn't back yet. And the big kicker for the Lakers: LeBron James is doubtful due to his right-side sciatica and left foot joint arthritis. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJames scored eight points on Thursday, breaking a streak of 1,297 games in a row with at least 10 points. On the second night of a back-to-back, James will sit as the Lakers look to preserve his health for the long run. Expect an insanely high usage rate in this one for Austin Reaves, who had 44 points and 10 assists on Thursday and might have to do that again. More news:Jahmyr Gibbs joins Barry Sanders in exclusive NFL historyWarriors' Pat Spencer continues improbable journey from lacrosse to NBAToosii somehow committed to college football after a non-descript HS careerLegend Bey's recruitment was a wildly weird oneGeorge Pickens blasted for miserable effortGoogle tells us what we already knew about Shedeur Sanders.