LA Lakers injury update- LeBron James and Anthony Davis are listed as probable for Game 1 against Denver
The LA Lakers have announced that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are listed as probable for tomorrow's Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. They will play a seven-game-series against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, who were also their opponent in the 2020 conference finals.
Aside from the two stars of Los Angeles, Mo Bamba will likely not suit up for the team as he continues to deal with a left ankle soreness.
LeBron and the Lakers ended their series against the Golden State Warriors in six games, while dominating the entire game. The four-time champion finished with his best performance of the postseason with 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Davis contributed 17 points and 20 rebounds to help eliminate the Warriors.
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LeBron James shows respect to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets
LeBron James knows the kind of intensity the Nuggets will show in the conference finals, as it isn't his first rodeo against the top team of the West. As they prepare for tomorrow's Game 1 bout against the best team in the West, James credits the improvement of Jokic and Jamal Murray as they pivotal pieces to Denver's success.
James was asked how he views the series and he answered it by giving the top team their flowers.
"They're a better team. Obviously, they're more experienced. Every game, every postseason, every matchups allows you to continue to grow as a franchise..." James said, "We're coming with the utmost respect for this team."
The four-time MVP was asked about the difference the Nuggets had in 2020 compared to what they are as a team right now. LeBron said this:
"They're better. They were great then, and they're great now. But I think Joker's gotten two more years under his belt, Jamal has gone back to his regular form after the injury and the rest of those guys are playing exceptional basketball. They're a really, really good team."
Back in 2020, the Lakers and Nuggets went to battle in the conference finals. Despite the talent that Denver was boasting at the time, Los Angeles was too much for them to handle and the series ended with LeBron and company winning in five games.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 27.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists while making 53.6% of his shots from the field. Together with Davis, the Lakers would go on to win the 2020 championship against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in six games.
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