When the Los Angeles Lakers take the floor against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Saturday, they'll be doing so without two of their key backcourt pieces - Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. Reaves remains sidelined with a gastrocnemius strain, and Doncic is nursing groin soreness, leaving the Lakers without their starting guard duo.
And the injury report doesn’t stop there.
The Lakers will also be without both of their true rotational centers. Deandre Ayton, who’s been battling knee soreness, and Jaxson Hayes, dealing with a hamstring issue, were each listed as questionable heading into the matchup.
But as tipoff neared, both were officially ruled out. That’s a significant blow to L.A.'s frontcourt depth, especially against a Portland team that’s young and hungry, and always plays tough at home.
This stretch of the season has been anything but smooth for the Lakers. They've dropped four of their last five games and 11 of their last 20 - a skid that’s seen them slide down the Western Conference standings. At 24-15, they currently sit sixth in the West, clinging to a playoff spot in a tightly packed field.
Saturday’s game is the first of a back-to-back for Los Angeles, with a quick turnaround at home against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. With multiple starters and key rotation players out, the Lakers will need to lean heavily on their bench and role players to keep things afloat.
The challenge now is clear: stay competitive, stay healthy, and find a way to weather this midseason storm before it turns into something more serious.