LA Lakers Injury Report (Jan. 23): Latest on LeBron James and Anthony Davis' status ahead of Boston Celtics showdown
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected to suit up for the LA Lakers when they host the Boston Celtics at the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. The Purple and Gold face off against the defending champions for the first time this season as rivalry week gets underway.
Much depends on the Lakers superstar duo to help fend off the Celtics' threat. Boston is one of the best teams in the league and one of the three teams to get past 30 wins so far. James (left ankle soreness) is listed as probable, and Davis (left calf soreness) is questionable. However, both stars will likely take the floor against their archrivals.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis stats vs Boston Celtics
LeBron James has always switched gears when it comes to playing the C's. The 4x NBA champion averages a healthy 28.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 59 career games against Boston. At 40, James continues to defy father time averaging 23.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 9.0 assists this season. He comes into the contest recording his ninth triple-double of the season against the Washington Wizards.
Anthony Davis has enjoyed a solid run against the Celtics as well, propping up 27.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 21 career games. The big has enjoyed an MVP-level run this season averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game.
With the trade deadline around the corner, all eyes will be on James and Davis who have reportedly grown concerned over the front office's lack of willingness to make a trade that would elevate them to be title contenders. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, James and Davis were "growing concerned over LA's ability to make significant roster upgrades with their two tradeable first-rounders."
The Lakers have a challenging slate of games coming up before the deadline, including the Thursday skirmish against the Celtics. Their current team as constructed is heavily dependent on LeBron James and Davis to get them through, and it will be interesting to see if LA pulls the trigger on a major trade in the days to come.