LA Lakers vs New York Knicks: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - April 12th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The LA Lakers and New York Knicks will take on each other for the first time this season at Madison Square Garden. Both teams enter this game on the back of their respective morale-boosting wins.
The shorthanded LA Lakers were able to give championship contenders Brooklyn Nets a walloping in their most recent fixture. The Lakers have been without the likes of Anthony Davis and LeBron James for some time now, but their latest addition Andre Drummond rose to the occasion with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Incessant rain in the Big Apple and a leaky roof caused an interruption in the New York Knicks' game against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Things came down to the wire again but the Knicks ended up on the winning side for a change. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett were at the forefront of this victory, with the duo combining for 45 points.
LA Lakers vs New York Knicks Injury Report
LA Lakers
As many as six LA Lakers players could be missing in action against the New York Knicks. Anthony Davis is nearing a return from his calf injury but is likely to be sidelined for another two weeks. Both LeBron James and Jared Dudley are expected to miss the entire month of April.
Kyle Kuzma, Marc Gasol and Wes Matthews all didn't feature against the Brooklyn Nets and the three are questionable again. Kuzma has a calf strain but is the likeliest of the trio to feature. Even if Gasol is available, he's not expected to play a lot of minutes with Drummond and Harrell both ahead of him in the rotation.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have remained largely injury-free over the last few weeks. Mitchell Robinson is the only absentee for the Knicks and he's unlikely to feature again this season as he undergoes rehabilitation on his right foot following surgery.
The New York Knicks signed John Henson to a 10-day contract a week ago but he hasn't featured for them yet. He's expected to sit out against the LA Lakers as well with a strained calf. Other fringe rotation players such as Norvel Pelle and Theo Pinson aren't expected to get minutes on Monday either.
LA Lakers vs New York Knicks Predicted Lineups
LA Lakers
Dennis Schroder was ejected against the Brooklyn Nets but he'll resume his duties as the LA Lakers' lead ball-handler again on Monday. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continues to be the preferred starter in the backcourt.
Talen Horton-Tucker received extended playing time in Kyle Kuzma's absence on Saturday, but the latter should reclaim the starting spot after a couple of days' rest. Markieff Morris has turned out to be a reliable backup option for the LA Lakers and will start at power forward. Andre Drummond will round out the starting five and continue at center.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks haven't tinkered with their starting combination much. There was an argument about Immanuel Quickley taking the starting spot from Elfrid Payton but the former has only shot 34.1% from the field in the last 10 games. Reggie Bullock has been a good two-way presence for the Knicks and will round out the starting backcourt.
RJ Barrett has been incredibly efficient of late. He's averaged 20.8 points in the last five games on 61% shooting. Julius Randle hasn't been that accurate from the field lately, but he's still the go-to forward for the New York Knicks. Nerlens Noel continues to deputize for the center spot in Robinson's absence.
LA Lakers vs New York Knicks Predicted Starting 5s
LA Lakers
Point Guard - Dennis Schroder | Shooting Guard - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Small Forward - Kyle Kuzma | Power Forward - Markieff Morris | Center - Andre Drummond
New York Knicks
Point Guard - Elfrid Payton | Shooting Guard - Reggie Bullock | Small Forward - RJ Barrett | Power Forward - Julius Randle | Center - Nerlens Noel
Also read: Brooklyn Nets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction & Match Preview - April 12th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21