The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into their Christmas Day matchup trying to stop the bleeding. After dropping two straight and losing five of their last nine, the team is clearly searching for answers-especially on the defensive end, where the cracks are starting to show.
It hasn’t helped that they’ve been dealing with a revolving door of injuries. The Lakers were slightly healthier in their recent blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns, getting Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton back in the lineup.
Reaves had been nursing a calf issue, while Ayton returned from an elbow injury. But even with those returns, L.A. couldn’t contain Phoenix, falling 132-108 in a game that exposed just how much their defense has regressed.
They were still without several key pieces in that game. Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, and Luka Doncic remained sidelined, and their absence was felt on both ends of the court. The offense lacked rhythm, and the defense was a step slow, especially in transition and on closeouts.
Looking ahead to their Christmas Day showdown with the Houston Rockets, there’s some optimism that reinforcements could be on the way. Hachimura is listed as probable, and Doncic is questionable-both trending in the right direction. Backup center Jaxson Hayes, who tweaked his ankle against Phoenix, is also questionable.
Doncic’s status will be one to watch closely. He’s been out since halftime of Saturday’s game against the Clippers after sustaining a leg contusion.
Without his playmaking and shot creation, the Lakers have struggled to generate consistent offense. Hachimura, who’s missed the last two games, brings physicality and versatility that L.A. sorely needs on the wing.
The Lakers are catching Houston at a tough time. Kevin Durant and the Rockets have been surging, and they’ll be looking to capitalize on L.A.’s recent struggles. If the Lakers want to avoid a third straight loss and get back on track, they’ll need to tighten up defensively and hope their injury report leans more green than red come tip-off.
Christmas Day games always come with a little extra juice, and for the Lakers, this one feels especially important. Not just for the standings, but for their confidence.
Getting healthier is step one. Getting back to playing connected, competitive basketball?
That’s the real challenge.