Los Angeles Lakers tremble: defeat against Portland and more injuries

Los Angeles Lakers are going through a season start plagued by physical setbacks that threaten to impact their performance. In addition to the already known absence of LeBron JamesLuka Doncic, their star player, now comes the absence of Gabe Vincent, who will be out for two to four weeks after suffering a sprained left ankle. All of this was reflected in the 122-108 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers, a game where the team of JJ Redick could barely count on seven players from the main roster.

Guard Vincent got injured at the beginning of the third quarter of the 127-120 victory against the Sacramento Kings. After the game, he left the arena with an orthopedic boot and explained to ESPN that the X-rays had not shown any fractures. However, the MRI confirmed the seriousness of the sprain. Vincent arrived at Monday's game against Portland aided by crutches, another sign of the tough physical moment the team is going through.

Vincent, 29, had started the first three games of the season as a starter in place of LeBron James. His great preseason—16.3 points on average with 47.4% shooting accuracy and a remarkable 55.6% in three-pointers—had secured him a prominent role in Redick's scheme, but his injury leaves another challenging gap to fill in an increasingly depleted roster.

The absences do not end there. In addition to James, Doncic, and Vincent, the Lakers faced the loss against Portland with a very limited roster: Marcus Smart (contusion on the right quadriceps), Jaxson Hayes (patellar tendinopathy), Maxi Kleber (abdominal strain), and rookie Adou Thiero (knee surgery recovery) also couldn't participate. In total, Redick only had seven full-time players at his disposal and three on two-way contracts.

Austin Reaves is not enough

In this scenario, Austin Reaves has become the main offensive reference. After his outstanding 51-point performance against Sacramento, he scored 41 more points against Portland, although his efforts couldn't prevent the defeat. "We don't expect Austin to score 51 again," Redick acknowledged before the game. "We just ask the team to play with intensity and within their capabilities."

The Lakers' infirmary has forced the coaching staff to constantly change the starting five. Against the Blazers, Redick fielded Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jake LaRavia, the third different starting five in just four games.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Angeles Lakers tiemblan: derrota ante Portland y más lesiones