Hello, Lakers Nation. Welcome in to the Lakers Nation.com podcast. My name's Trevor Lane, and it's Game Day. Lakers Nuggets, big one tonight, 7 p.m. Pacific Time. The Lakers needing a win to try to move up in the Western Conference. We've got a lot to talk about on today's show. We'll look at the injury report. We'll break down what the Lakers need to do in order to get the win against the Denver Nuggets. We'll also look at the Nuggets injury reports.

Some interesting things on that. at the injury report. We'll break down what the Lakers need to do in order to get the win against the Denver Nuggets.

We'll also look at the Nuggets injury reports. Some interesting things on there. I'll tell you right now, I'm not buying it. I'm not buying what the Nuggets are throwing out there. Joining me on today's show. It's Editor Extraordinary Daniel Stark and Daniel, how are you doing? But Dodger baseball has gotten going too.

So you are, you're a busy man this time of year.

Yeah, that's right. editor extraordinary Daniel Stark and Daniel how you doing Dodger baseball has gotten going too so you

are you're a busy man this time of year yeah that's right and of course they're playing in

Japan so you know there their two games we're in the middle of the night caught a little bit

of it haven't you know didn't fully commit but obviously the lakers schedule has been crazy

enough in its own right I can only imagine how it's

been for the players because i know i've been exhausted just you know covering these games and

and following the team and whatnot but um yeah it's it this is why we do it though like this is the

exciting time of year you know we got you know march madness coming up and then the NBA playoffs right

after so uh it doesn't get much better than this in my opinion yeah it's it's a great a year. You know, we got, you know, March Madness coming up and then the NBA playoffs right after.

So it doesn't get much better than this, in my opinion. Yeah, it's a great time of year for sure. There's a lot of stuff going on. And, of course, you know, the Western Conference standings, they are so, so close as we expected them to be. We thought it was going to be a really close run all the way through to the postseason. and a win over the Nuggets would catapult the Lakers up another spot at least. We'll see what the Houston Rockets do. But this could be big for the Lakers. So, and especially I think the Lakers have a bit of revenge on their mind. After last game, a severely shorthanded Lakers side almost beat the Nuggets in Denver.

We're so close. I think they've got some revenge on their mind coming into this one tonight. But let's take a quick peek at the injury report for the Lakers. Obviously, that's going to be an important thing here. So we got the news. Luk Adonjic, probable. All right, I'm not worried about that at all. Obviously, he's playing. Trey Jemison, this illness, he is questionable, could mean more Christian Coloco. Minutes does appear Coloco and Jemison are ahead of Alex Lenn, the veteran in the rotation. And then the big news, I think everybody was waiting on. We had a good sense that LeBron James would remain out, and indeed he is, but Rui Hachamura stays out for this one as well.

I know some were hoping maybe he would come back here against Denver. Daniel, against this team in particular, Denver, and then tomorrow against the Milwaukee box, these are two teams especially that you could use Rui and LeBron against. You need that size out there. So this is going to be a real challenge for the Lakers to deal with those frontlines without Rui and without LeBron James once again. Yeah, definitely. And I guess the good news is that you have Jackson, you know, this time at least, where you didn't have him in the back-to-back against those two same teams on the road last week. And as we see on the injury report here, maybe Trey Jemison could be back in the lineup as well. So, you know, they're in a better position as far as, you know,

the injury report goes than they were on the road trip. But like you said, obviously it would be

great to have LeBron and Rui in there.

And let's face it, you know, the regular season is winding down here. And this team, they haven't had a lot of games together just to gel. Like, forget about, you know, the standings and all that. Like, just to be able to build that chemistry before the playoffs. Like, that's pretty valuable as well. So, you know, even though these guys aren't going to be back tonight, hopefully, you know,

JJ Reddick keeps saying they're day to day, they're progressing. That's all we've heard. But there hasn't been, you know, a set return date, you know, set in stone yet. So we'll see. Hopefully it's within the next week. That's what, you know, it seems to be pointing towards, but, you know, we'll see.

Obviously, you don't want to rush them back and, you know, have a setback or whatever, you know, just given how late it is in the season. So they'll be cautious, but definitely looking forward to getting those guys back. Yeah, for sure. They definitely could use them back now. With Rui being out of this one. I mean, it's possible he plays the second night of the back to back.

I would think, though, if he were capable. definitely could use them back now with Rui being out of this one I mean it's possible he plays the

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