The Los Angeles Lakers have a big game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday that will have playoff implications. They currently rank fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 41 wins and 25 losses, half a game ahead of the fifth-place Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers have been a bit poor in the past few games. LeBron James returned to action Thursday after missing three straight games with an elbow ailment, arthritis in his left foot and a hip contusion to help his team beat the Chicago Bulls 142-130. Marcus Smart, Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber did not play in that game due to various ailments.
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James will play again on Saturday and Smart has been cleared to return. Hayes is listed as possible, but Kleiber will not play.
Smart’s return on Saturday is especially important as he will likely be guarding Nuggets All-Star Jamal Murray for an extended period of time. On March 5, when the Denver Nuggets defeated the Lakers 120-113, Murray scored 28 points, but on January 20, with the help of Smart, Murray made 1 of 6 shots and scored two points in the second half, and the Lakers won 115-107.
Denver has also had its share of injury issues of late, and while forward Aaron Gordon did not play in Thursday’s 136-131 win over the San Antonio Spurs, both he and Murray were listed as possible players for Saturday. Primary backup forward Peyton Watson will remain out with a hamstring strain.
Denver has won four of its past six games. Murray is having the best year of his career in terms of scoring, while superstar center Nikola Jokic is averaging a triple-double, just like he did last season.
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This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers release injury report for Saturday’s game against Nuggets
