The Los Angeles Lakers have announced that LeBron James and Marcus Smart will not play in Sunday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena. James is sidelined due to left foot injury management, while Smart is out with back spasms for a second consecutive game.
This matchup marks the first of two games on consecutive nights for the Lakers, who face the Phoenix Suns on Monday. The team is taking a careful approach with both players, aiming to have them available for the next game.
LeBron James, approaching his 41st birthday and in his 23rd NBA season, has missed significant time this year. He was previously absent for 14 games because of sciatica on his right side and will now miss his 15th game of the season. With these absences, James is not expected to reach the threshold required to qualify for end-of-season awards. The organization remains focused on maintaining his health for a potential playoff run; so far, they have won all four games in which he has played.
Marcus Smart has contributed defensively since joining the Lakers but continues to be managed cautiously due to ongoing back issues.
The Lakers enter Sunday’s contest with six straight wins and an overall record of 14-4. Despite injuries throughout the season, they have maintained strong performance. Their opponent, the Pelicans, have struggled recently with only one win in their last twelve games.
Head coach JJ Redick addressed plans earlier in the season regarding rest for LeBron James: “Yeah, we’ll do what we did last year, which is daily communication with him, with Mike (Mancias),” Redick said. “We’re gonna have to, I used the word uncharted territory a few times in the preseason, we’re gonna have to just manage this as best as we can given there’s no precedent for it.
“He knows his body better than anyone, Mike obviously probably No. 2 there. So the level of communication we had last year and throughout this 6-7 week period has been really good so I don’t expect it to change there. We’ll figure out ways to get him rest when he needs rest.”
