Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers put up a good fight against the Denver Nuggets despite losing starting center Deandre Ayton ($5,000) with a knee injury early in the first quarter, making a late comeback to cut the deficit to one point late. In the defeat, LeBron James ($8,500) even made the 15,838th field goal of his career, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time career leader in that stat. But it was a devastating loss beyond its impact in the standings; late in the fourth quarter, James hit his left elbow against a cameraman’s foot on his way to the ground, ruling him out for tonight’s 10:40 p.m. ET contest against the Indiana Pacers. Ayton and Maxi Kleber ($3,100) are out as well.
James’ injury isn’t thought to be particularly serious; after last night’s game, he described it as a “day-to-day” issue, and it’s likely that the Lakers would’ve given him an injury designation on the second night of a back-to-back regardless. He did, after all, sit out Los Angeles’ February 10 game against the San Antonio Spurs, which was also the second night of a back-to-back. It’s not at all unreasonable to expect that James could play during Sunday night’s home contest against the New York Knicks.
The last time James sat out, Luka Dončić ($11,500) and Austin Reaves ($7,500) did as well, but both of those players will start tonight as usual. The most likely candidate to slide back into the starting lineup is Jake LaRavia ($3,800), who has started 33 games this season, mostly during the month-plus that Reaves missed with his calf strain. LaRavia is a fairly low-usage player, but he’s had some impressive starts this season, including a 26-point (42.2-FPT) effort on January 4 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Jaxson Hayes ($4,100) will also start tonight in Ayton’s place.
Hayes is my favorite value option from tonight’s game. He displayed impeccable chemistry with Dončić last night, recording 19 points (28.2 FPTS) and throwing down several lobs. Given Indiana’s struggles to guard the paint as of late — the Pacers have given up the second-most restricted-area shots per game since the All-Star break and have conceded the second-highest percentage on those looks — Hayes should be in a position to dominate. Indiana is also the league’s second-worst rebounding team. Rui Hachimura ($4,000) could also see some increased usage, but he’s predominantly used as a catch-and-shoot sniper, and the Pacers have done a good job limiting the three-point line.
Even with James, Ayton, and Kleber out, Los Angeles is a 9.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the point total set to 235.5. Indiana is +330 on the Moneyline.
