NEW YORK — The Lakers will be without multiple frontcourt players for tonight’s road game against the Brooklyn Nets.
In addition to four-time league MVP LeBron James (left groin strained), forward Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) and forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle soreness), center Jaxson Hayes (right knee contusion) was ruled out for Monday’s game 12 hours before tipoff.
It’s the second consecutive game that Hayes has sat out because of the bruised knee. He also missed Saturday night’s road loss to the Boston Celtics.
James injured his groin midway through the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Celtics, which ended the Lakers’ season-best winning streak at eight games.
He didn’t play in the final 6:44, signaling to the bench to be taken out of the game and attempting to stretch the groin out before being ruled out for the remainder of the game. He’s expected to be sidelined for at least one to two weeks.
Hachimura, who will miss his sixth consecutive game Monday, will be reevaluated next week.
Finney-Smith dealt with left ankle/calf issues while playing for the Nets earlier in the season before being traded to the Lakers in late December. He missed the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break, a road loss to the Utah Jazz on Feb. 12, because of left ankle soreness.
Luka Doncic remained questionable for tonight’s game because of back soreness as of Monday afternoon.
More to come on this story.