Lakers vs. Grizzlies Tuesday NBA injury report, odds: LeBron James likely out weeks, lengthening L.A.'s Western Conference playoff odds
The Lakers begin life without LeBron James Tuesday in Memphis.
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The Los Angeles Lakers already faced somewhat long odds to get past the play-in tournament and reach the Western Conference playoffs, but those odds are now even longer with LeBron James injuring his foot on Sunday. The future Hall of Famer is expected to miss 2-3 weeks of action. L.A. will also likely be without trade acquisition D'Angelo Russell (listed as doubtful) on Tuesday in Memphis. The Grizzlies are nearly double-digit favorites at Caesars Sportsbook.
Sunday could have been the momentum-shifting moment the Lakers needed to reach the postseason as they staged the biggest comeback win in franchise history, rallying from a 27-point deficit to stun Dallas 111-108 for the team's third straight win. James fell to the floor in pain late in the third quarter after driving on Dallas' Dwight Powell. Viewers heard James said "I heard it pop" on the telecast. He continued to play and finished 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists but was seen with a noticeable limp in the postgame locker room.
While the Lakers haven't announced any official designation, Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski are both reporting the team fears he will miss weeks. During the All-Star Game, James dubbed the final stretch of the Lakers' season "23 of the most important games" of his career, displaying his determination to not miss the playoffs again.
L.A. is 5-9 without him this season. Without James on the court (including games he played but was resting at the time), the Lakers have an offensive rating of 107.2 points per 100 possessions. The NBA's worst overall team this year is Houston at 109.2. The Lakers' net efficiency rating of minus-6.6 without James is ahead of only the tanking Spurs, Rockets and Pistons.
At 29-32, the Lakers sit in 12th place in the West, a half-game behind No. 10 New Orleans for the final play-in tournament spot. Sportsbooks have taken down team odds to reach the play-in tournament, but FanDuel now has the Lakers at +225 to reach the final eight in the West and -290 to not. The SportsLine Projection Model (see below) downgrades L.A. from 41.9 wins to 40.7 if James misses about two weeks and its playoff hopes from 64.6% to 46.3% (a moneyline price of about +115).
As for Russell, he's dealing with a right ankle sprain suffered last Thursday against Golden State. He sat out on Sunday in Dallas. Russell is averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 assists in four games back with the Lakers, but those averages are skewed in that he only played nine minutes vs. the Warriors before leaving with the injury.
The Lakers lead the season series with Memphis 1-0, winning 122-121 in LA on Jan. 20. Dennis Schröder completed a three-point play with 7.6 seconds remaining after a steal. The Lakers trailed 114-107 with 3:04 remaining. James had 23 points and nine rebounds. Anthony Davis didn't play and Russell wasn't with the Lakers yet. Steven Adams had 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Grizzlies, but is currently out injured.
| LAKERS | WINS | WIN% | PLAYOFF | CONF | CHAMP |
| LeBron healthy | 41.9 | 51.10% | 64.60% | 7.36% | 3.87% |
| LeBron out until March 14 | 40.7 | 49.60% | 46.30% | 6.85% | 3.52% |
| Difference | -1.2 | -1.50% | -18.30% | -0.51% | -0.35% |
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