Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony suffered a right hamstring strain in the first half of Thursday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers and was ruled out the rest of the game, according to Mike Trudell. 

The Lakers said Anthony will be re-evaluated on Friday to determine if more tests are needed, per Bill Oram of The Athletic. 

Anthony had seven points, two rebounds and a block in 11 minutes before coming out of the game. Coming into the day, he averaged 13.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 49 appearances.

The 37-year-old is in his first season in Los Angeles and was excellent for Portland after signing with the team in November 2019, averaging 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds in his first season before posting 13.4 points per game off the bench last year.

The addition has been a solid one for the Lakers as they retooled their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. 

With James currently sidelined due to a knee injury and Anthony banged up, Kent Bazemore figures to be in line for a bump in minutes alongside fellow wings Stanley Johnson,  Malik Monk, Austin Reaves and Talen Horton-Tucker. 

The Los Angeles Lakers ended their three-game losing streak with a 99-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

Anthony Davis led the way with 30 points and 15 rebounds as Los Angeles improved to 25-27. Carmelo Anthony added 24 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

🚨 Melo Oop Alert 🚨 pic.twitter.com/wjmZhwtsR5

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 3, 2022

The Lakers overcame the absence of star forward LeBron James, who missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury.

The Blazers fell to 21-31 after their third straight loss and fourth in their last five games. Norman Powell led the team with 30 points.

Portland remained without star point guard Damian Lillard, who hasn't played since Dec. 31 after undergoing surgery on a core muscle injury.

---

Notable Stats

F Anthony Davis, LAL: 30 points, 15 rebounds

F Carmelo Anthony, LAL: 24 points (5-of-6 3PT FG), 8 rebounds (off bench)

G Russell Westbrook, LAL: 9 points (3-of-11 FG), 10 rebounds, 13 assists

F Norman Powell, POR: 30 points

G Anfernee Simons, POR: 19 points

C Jusuf Nurkic, POR: 16 points, 13 rebounds

G CJ McCollum, POR: 15 points (5-of-17 FG), 8 rebounds

---

Lakers Overcome Sloppy Mistakes in Victory

Throughout the early part of the game, it looked like Los Angeles was on its way to an easy win. But the Lakers' habit of committing turnovers reared its ugly head and allowed Portland to get back into the game.

Los Angeles jumped out to a 12-point lead after one quarter, but eight first-half turnovers led to just a one-point advantage entering halftime.

The Lakers also did a subpar job on the defensive glass, allowing the Blazers to grab 11 offensive boards through the first two stanzas.

In the third quarter, Portland took the lead thanks to more mistakes by Los Angeles. Despite holding the Blazers to a low shooting percentage, the Lakers couldn't capitalize because of continued sloppy play.

LAL trail 71-69 with 2:45 left in the 3rd Q. They continue to be plagued by turnovers, committing 13 to Portland’s 4. Blazers are shooting just 35.1% from the field, but have taken 22 more shots due to the TO margin, plus a 15-7 edge on the offensive glass.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 3, 2022

Lakers with 14 turnovers for 19 Blazers points. https://t.co/EoS1e5i6OW

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) February 3, 2022

The Lakers were saved by a late burst by Davis. The big man had 11 of his 30 points and eight of his 15 rebounds in the fourth quarter alone to secure the win.

Anthony Davis has taken over the backboards, which were a problem for LAL earlier in the game, to put his team in strong position with 52.0 seconds left.

It’s a 94-89 lead, with AD going to the line after he grabbed an offensive board, his 14th overall.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 3, 2022

Even without James, it was surprising to see the Lakers struggle so much to limit their mistakes. They finished the game with 17 turnovers. If not for special offensive nights from Davis and Anthony, Los Angeles could've found itself four games below .500.

The Lakers will have to do a better job of taking care of the ball if they hope to turn their season around and compete for a title. The elite teams in the Western Conference will not let them survive so many mistakes like the Blazers did on Wednesday.

---

Blazers Poor Shooting Shows Up at Inopportune Moments

It wasn't an entirely bad game for Portland. The problem was that the team's poor shooting showed up at the worst times.

The Blazers missed their first eight three-pointers and fell behind by 12 after the first quarter. They managed to turn things around in the middle frames by connecting on 11 of their next 24 shots from beyond the arc (45.8 percent).

In addition to their improved shooting, the Blazers were able to capitalize off of Lakers turnovers, and they also did a great job of crashing the offensive glass.

And now they're in this game almost entirely due to three-point shooting https://t.co/Tl1ywwxApP

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) February 3, 2022

This was real nice, @trendonw pic.twitter.com/boExKjPFge

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 3, 2022

But things fell apart in the fourth quarter. The Blazers made just three of their eight three-point attempts and also turned the ball over nine times in the final frame after just four giveaways in the first three quarters.

Portland finished the game shooting 35-of-98 from the field (35.7 percent) and 14-of-42 from three-point land (33.3 percent).

CJ McCollum, who is expected to lead the team in Lillard's absence, shot just 5-of-17 from the floor. It was an ugly performance that ruined the team's chances of stealing a win on the road.

The Blazers will have to put this game in their rearview and move on. Portland is a better shooting team than it showed on Wednesday, so it just has to find a way to be more efficient going forward.

---

What's Next?

The Lakers will look to keep the momentum going on Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Blazers will return to Portland to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday in the first contest of a five-game homestand.

Former NBA All-Star Charles Oakley has envisioned a scenario in which LeBron James leaves the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Oakley said James "definitely" wants to win another title before he retires, and he "might have to leave L.A. to get it."

"He left twice... he'll leave again."@CharlesOakley34 tells @TheFrankIsola & @Scalabrine his thoughts on LeBron's future pic.twitter.com/xsxCbUd1qX

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 1, 2022

James' current contract with the Lakers runs through the 2022-23 season.

Appearing on the Smartless podcast in July (h/t CBS Sports' Jasmyn Wimbish), James said he hopes to finish his career with the Lakers. 

"However many years that is, if it's four, five, six, whatever, seven. I hope I can continue to play the game," he said. "I love being in L.A., my family loves being in L.A. Being with a historical franchise like the Lakers is something."

To Oakley's point, James does have a history of having teams reshape their roster in the way he wants and leaving when it becomes apparent the bottom is about to drop out. 

"The Decision" in 2010 came after the Cleveland Cavaliers were unable to win a title in five consecutive playoff appearances. 

James won back-to-back NBA titles and reached the Finals in each of his four seasons with the Miami Heat, but he left to re-sign with the Cavs as a free agent in July 2014 after losing to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. 

Cleveland underwent constant roster changes during James' second stint from 2014-18. The results paid off with four consecutive Finals appearances, including the franchise's first championship during the 2015-16 season. 

After being swept by the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals, James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. The pairing of him and Anthony Davis helped the franchise win a title during the 2019-20 season, but the results since then have been trending in the wrong direction. 

Injuries and poor performances pushed the Lakers into the play-in tournament last season. They were able to secure the No. 7 seed before losing in the first round to the Phoenix Suns. 

B/R's Eric Pincus reported James "was a significant proponent" of bringing Russell Westbrook to the Lakers in a trade with the Washington Wizards last offseason.

The experiment thus far has been a disappointment. Westbrook is only averaging 18.9 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting. James and Davis have missed a combined 36 games this season. 

The Lakers are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with a 24-27 record. They have lost eight of their last 11 games since winning four straight from Dec. 31-Jan. 7. 

Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West recently discussed the rift between himself and Los Angeles Lakers management, noting the manner in which it revoked his lifetime season tickets last season was a breaking point.

“It was a cold phone text to my wife,” West told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “No one had the nerve to call me, but that’s how petty they are, OK? And I love the Lakers, OK? I love to see them do well. It’s great for basketball. I’m proud of everything that happened when I was there. I’m proud of everything that happened when I wasn’t there—the positives.

“But sometimes you feel like you’re discarded, like a piece of trash. And there’s a couple of people over there—not Jeanie—but there’s a couple of people over there that, uh … I don’t get it. I don’t. … I always had a great relationship with Jeanie—at least I thought I did. I don’t know where it is now.”

West said the season tickets for him and his wife Karen were promised to him by late Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, and the team did not give a reason for backing out on its commitment.

The relationship between Buss and Lakers management has soured in recent years—particularly since he joined the Clippers as an executive board member. West initially expressed a desire to finish his storied career as an executive with the Lakers, but the team declined to bring him back in any capacity, leading to him joining their rival.

The fissure has only grown in the years since, with audio of West calling the Lakers a "s--t show" during his 2019 recruitment of Kawhi Leonard surfacing and Jeanie Buss leaving West off her list of most influential Lakers. West called Buss leaving him off in favor of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, LeBron James and Phil Jackson "one of the most offensive things I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Rewind 10 years, and it's hard to imagine anyone with a closer relationship to an organization than West and the Lakers. He spent his entire 14-year NBA playing career with the franchise before later returning as an executive, winning seven rings in total (six as an exec, one as a player). The Lakers erected a statue of West outside Crypto.com Arena in 2011, making him one of only five Lakers with a statue.

As it stands now, West says his relationship with the franchise he called home for most of his life is unsalvageable and part of him wishes he'd played for an organization that "would have at least appreciated how much you give, how much you cared.’”

“I’m not seeking any apologies from no one—no one—ever,” West said. “I just said to myself, ‘How petty can this be?’”

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is set to miss at least another game and potentially more because of a nagging knee injury.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, James is expected to miss Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers and possibly "a few more games" because of irritation in his left knee.

Charania noted James and the Lakers "want to be cautious" and don't want him to return until the irritation subsides.

James is having another fantastic season, averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three in 36 games. Not too shabby for being 37 years old.

The traditionally durable James has missed some time this season, however. Knee soreness has cost him the past three games, while he missed a little over two weeks in November with a rectus abdominis strain.

As James has aged, injuries have played a larger factor in his career. No surprises there, but it has meant prioritizing his workload management.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel told reporters in January:

"I think about it every day. We're always mindful of the load that he's carrying, in constant communication with him and the medical team. And in terms of what we do going forward with the knee and where he's at, it's really a heavy lean on the medical staff and [trainer] Mike Mancias and what they feel is best. It's really not a head-coach thing as much as it is relying on the medical team."

James has been less worried about that management, especially during periods when he's had to carry a larger burden as players like Anthony Davis deal with injuries.

"I don't get caught up in usage rates and heavy loads and things of that nature," he told reporters in January. "That's been me my whole career, since I was an 18-year-old kid taking over a franchise. So, that type of pressure or that type of load is something I'm accustomed to, I've been accustomed to for 20 years."

While James is out, Davis and Russell Westbrook will have to carry the Lakers offense, plus one of Malik Monk, Wayne Ellington and Talen Horton-Tucker should step into the starting lineup. But his absence is a major concern for the struggling Lakers (24-27) as they continue to battle for a postseason spot.

After praising Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for his performance in Sunday's win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James turned his attention to his old friend Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham and the Los Angeles Rams clinched a spot in the Super Bowl against Burrow and the Bengals with a 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night, and James praised Beckham for his performance.

@obj going to the SuperBowl!!! Did y’all see the game he just had! EARNED NOT GIVEN!!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 31, 2022

The veteran receiver had an incredible game, catching nine passes for 113 yards. He trailed only Cooper Kupp, who caught 11 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

James has been vocal in his support of Beckham since the star receiver was a member of the Cleveland Browns. Before the Browns released Beckham in November, James tweeted "#FreeOBJ."

OBJ will show again why he’s special. WR1 #FreeOBJ

— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 2, 2021

Then when Beckham signed with the Rams, James was one of the first star athletes to welcome him to Los Angeles.

Welcome to LA my brother @obj! It’s GO TIME!!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 11, 2021

While James' Lakers are having a rough go of things with a 24-27 record, the Rams are off to the Super Bowl for the second time in four years, and it's all thanks to players like Beckham, Kupp, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and more.

The Cincinnati Bengals are headed back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was one of many who lauded the performance of Cincy quarterback Joe Burrow after one of the biggest games of the year.

But not if get a generational talent in the draft! You would have said the same about the Cavs before 2003 right? Joe B is the absolute TRUTH!! We all saw and knew it!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 30, 2022

💨👑 pic.twitter.com/yIpdL2X37T

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 30, 2022

While James is a Cleveland guy, it's no surprise he wants to see Burrow do well. The Bengals quarterback started his college career at Ohio State, and James is a noted Buckeyes fan. It was also just an incredible win for Burrow and the Bengals, who overcame an 18-point deficit with an unbelievable second half.

Burrow completed 23 of 38 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win. He also ran for 25 yards on five carries. Perhaps the biggest difference between the first and second halves was the play of Cincinnati's defense.

Among other notable defensive plays, the Bengals picked off Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter before doing so again in overtime.

It's also important to note Burrow has been incredible throughout the 2021 season. In the Wild Card Round against the Las Vegas Raiders, the 2020 first overall pick completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

He followed that up completing 75.7 percent of his passes for 348 yards, no touchdowns and one interception against the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round.

The Bengals now await their Super Bowl opponent in either the Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers, but whoever they face, they'll undoubtedly be ready and confident with Burrow under center. 

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third straight loss without LeBron James as the Atlanta Hawks earned a 129-121 win Sunday.

Trae Young scored 36 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, to lift the Hawks (24-25) to their seventh consecutive win, including their sixth at home at State Farm Arena. 

The Lakers built a 71-62 lead at halftime in the high-scoring game, controlling the action for a 10-point advantage through three quarters. The margin grew as high as 11 in the fourth before the Hawks stormed back with a 14-2 run to steal the lead.

Atlanta kept making shots in the fourth quarter, with Young hitting an important one from deep in the final minute:

FROM DEEP 🥶🥶🥶 pic.twitter.com/BlWa4v590s

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 30, 2022

It was part of an 8-0 finish to the game for Atlanta, and Los Angeles simply couldn't keep up in the loss.

Anthony Davis scored 27 in his return to the lineup while Malik Monk set season highs with 33 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers (24-27) still struggled overall as James remains out with a knee injury. The team is now 5-10 this season with LeBron unavailable.

---

Notable Performances

Trae Young, PG, ATL: 36 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds

John Collins, PF, ATL: 20 points, 11 rebounds

Clint Capela, C, ATL: 15 points, 9 rebounds

Anthony Davis, PF, LAL: 27 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals

Russell Westbrook, PG, LAL: 20 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds

Malik Monk, SG, LAL: 33 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists

---

Trae Young Takeover Keys Hawks Win

Though Trae Young came in questionable due to a hip injury, he remained a star offensively.

The passing was especially impressive from start to finish as the guard found teammates all over the floor:

7 dimes for Trae after this long-distance dish 🎯@ATLHawks and Lakers on NBA League Pass ⤵https://t.co/L8Rrlv9ZoR pic.twitter.com/Ex6HC4BHu8

— NBA (@NBA) January 30, 2022

Oh, that's nice.@TheTraeYoung | @KevinHuerter pic.twitter.com/hXwQ9ALnrm

— Hawks On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN_Hawks) January 30, 2022

He also called his own number when needed.

Step-back too cold pic.twitter.com/OuvfegTF0E

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 30, 2022

That's our All-Star ❄️ pic.twitter.com/FaJTHT9c7B

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 30, 2022

Some assists are just better than others.@LeaderofHorde | @TheTraeYoung pic.twitter.com/d94dzwRA0V

— Hawks On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN_Hawks) January 30, 2022

The clutch shooting in the fourth quarter especially helped the Hawks pull in front before closing out the win. 

It was a nice turnaround after it seemed like his frustrations were going to get the best of him early in the game. 

Trae was about to take the ball and leave 😂 pic.twitter.com/ldiOeXfshR

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 30, 2022

Foul or no foul? https://t.co/MauLEEeksF

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 30, 2022

The Lakers took momentum late in the second quarter, ending the half with a 17-6 run.

Young bounced back with 20 points after halftime to keep the Hawks rolling. 

John Collins also showed his upside with his second-straight 20-point game, including 12 in the first quarter to give Atlanta an early lead.

JC gettin' things started pic.twitter.com/4Nf1a7RYoN

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 30, 2022

John Collins is getting whatever he wants in the paint to start this game.

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) January 30, 2022

Whether he's being used as a trade chip or staying with Atlanta, the team needs Collins to play to his ability.

---

Malik Monk Heroics Not Enough for Lakers

Even with Anthony Davis back after missing Friday's game with a wrist injury, the Lakers remain shorthanded. LeBron James was diagnosed with "general swelling" in his knee that will keep him out until he improves, head coach Frank Vogel said Sunday.

It requires other players to step up, and Malik Monk showed he could be a key piece of the puzzle going forward with a big game Sunday.

The guard filled up the stat sheet with his best game as a Laker, producing some impressive plays along the way:

The move from Malik Monk or the dime? 🤔@Lakers and Hawks in Q1 on NBA League Pass ⤵https://t.co/L8Rrlv9ZoR pic.twitter.com/eYccWadtYe

— NBA (@NBA) January 30, 2022

Malik Monk beats the halftime buzzer to complete a 19-PT first half 🔥@Lakers lead at the break on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/L8Rrlv9ZoR pic.twitter.com/OGKY3zEQ0c

— NBA (@NBA) January 30, 2022

30 for Malik Monk and the Lakers stay close 👀

Watch the end of that game on YouTube for FREE: https://t.co/GcDy5V18D7 pic.twitter.com/EmfR1KMvUJ

— NBA UK (@NBAUK) January 30, 2022

https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1487882431982018563

Malik Monk being under-discussed while on the lakers having a career year is not something I expected. He’s been one of the most efficient guards since December

— Rich Stayman (@RichStayman) January 30, 2022

Consistency has been a problem for Monk, but this was his 12th time reaching 20 points this season. On an aging roster, the 23-year-old is exactly what the Lakers need.

It still wasn't enough for Los Angeles in this game. 

Davis was dominant when on the court with 27 points but still missed time due to foul trouble. Russell Westbrook was also more efficient than usual with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, adding 12 assists.

Depth is still an issue with all five bench players finishing with a negative plus-minus rating. Carmelo Anthony scored 11 while Talen Horton-Tucker provided some life, but the team still needs more to keep up in these types of shootouts.   

---

What's Next?

Atlanta continues its back-to-back with a home game against the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Los Angeles will have a few days off before hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Sunday that LeBron James will not play until the swelling goes down in his knee, via Mike Trudell of Spectrum.

An MRI showed "general swelling" in the star's knee, which will be enough to keep him out for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Anthony Davis, who returned from injury last Tuesday, will play against the Hawks after missing Friday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

It will be the third straight missed game for James, although Vogel listed the forward as day-to-day and indicated he could still return for Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

The injury was previously described as knee soreness as James was ruled out of the Lakers' game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 27.

James had also missed time earlier this season with an abdominal strain. Los Angeles is 5-9 when he doesn't play, per StatMuse.

At 37 years old, James is in the midst of one of the best offensive seasons of his career. He's averaged 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 36 games. He is tied for second in the league in scoring behind only Kevin Durant. 

Throughout most of his career, James had a reputation of being one of the most durable players in the NBA. But he's had trouble staying healthy in recent seasons. He was limited to 45 games in 2020-21 because of various injuries.

The Lakers have been off to a disappointing start to the season with a record of 24-26. 

While James is out of the lineup, Los Angeles will look to point guard Russell Westbrook with veteran forward Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk among those likely to see increased minutes.

The Lakers need James to return sooner rather than later if they hope to keep pace in the playoff hunt in the competitive Western Conference.