There won't be any talk of load management in Los Angeles on Christmas Day.
Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected to play on Wednesday against the Clippers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin. James missed a game for the first time this season on Sunday with a thoracic muscle strain and discomfort in his groin; Davis hurt his right knee in that game, a 128-104 loss to the Nuggets.
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Both James and Davis were listed as questionable on Monday for the Christmas showdown with the Clippers, but the All-Star forwards pushed for an impromptu practice on Christmas Eve, per Wojnarowski and McMenamin. Practice time has been hard to find for coach Frank Vogel, as the Lakers have played 12 of their last 16 games on the road.
"We went a 10-day trip without a single practice, really," Vogel told reporters on Monday. "One shootaround, I think. Sometimes that benefits your legs, but usually it leads to a little bit of slippage in your execution and togetherness, particularly on the defensive end."
🎥 Frank Vogel gives an injury update for LeBron and AD. pic.twitter.com/DtsKBUgsRZ
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 23, 2019
The Lakers stand alone at the top of the Western Conference standings with a 24-6 record, but a three-game losing streak has allowed contenders like the Nuggets (21-8), Rockets (21-9) and Clippers (22-10) to close the gap. The Lakers will need to fire on all cylinders to defeat the Clippers, who won the first battle of LA on Opening Night without Paul George.
George will be part of the starting five this time, joining Kawhi Leonard on the Staples Center floor. Leonard sat out Sunday's game against the Thunder, but the 2019 NBA Finals MVP is available for the Christmas Day contest.
