Lakers updates: LeBron James out tonight; Dennis Schroder to miss 10-14 days
Lakers starting point guard Dennis Schroder is “likely to be out” for some time because he’s in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The Lakers are viewing this as Schroder missing 10-14 days, but things can always be “subject to change,” according to one person.
LeBron James, who has a sore right ankle, will not play tonight against the Denver Nuggets.
LeBron James listed as out (sprained right ankle) on Lakers injury report for game tonight vs Denver at Staples Center.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) May 3, 2021
Schroder didn’t play Sunday night during the Lakers’ 121-114 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center because he had entered the protocols.
James scored 19 points in 27 1/2 minutes of play Sunday in his second game back after missing 20 games because of a high right ankle sprain. He exited the game with more than six minutes left because of the soreness in his ankle.
This marks the second time this season that Schroder has missed games because of COVID-19 issues. He didn’t play in four games in February because of contact tracing.
Schroder gets tested twice a day, just as all his Lakers teammates do.
The reeling Lakers have eight regular-season games remaining, starting tonight against the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.
The Lakers, who have lost six of their last seven games, then play a set of back-to-back road games later this week, against the Clippers on Thursday and the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
The Lakers are in sixth place in the Western Conference, but they have the same record as the seventh-place Trail Blazers (36-28), meaning that it is very possible for the defending NBA champions to be involved in the play-in tournament for the seventh- through 10th-place teams.
Schroder is third on the team in scoring (15.5) and second in assists (5.8). He will be a free agent this summer.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
