The Los Angeles Lakers are back on the road tonight for a two-game road trip, with their first stop at the Smoothie King Center, where they will be taking on the New Orleans Pelicans. LeBron James and Co. enter this game coming off back-to-back wins over the Memphis Grizzlies. Still, this will be a difficult matchup for the Lakers as both teams play fast and aggressive basketball.

And Los Angeles kryptonite is defending and matching. So, the Lakers will need to be on their toes tonight. For that, they will need their veteran superstar, who, even though he has struggled with injuries, has picked up the slack in recent weeks. However, will the 41-year-old be able to take the court tonight amid his injury struggles?

Is LeBron James playing tonight against the Pelicans?

Yes, LeBron James is all set to take the court tonight. This comes as a result of his not being on the team’s injury report. Obviously, this is great news for the Purple and Gold. Despite a sluggish start to the season that saw his impressive scoring streak, the 41-year-old has managed to make an impressive turnaround.

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Just the other night, James erupted for 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies, which was a follow-up for a 31-point performance against the Grizzlies as well. Not just that, the Akron Hammer has stepped up big time in Austin Reaves’ absence who is among several others who won’t be able to play tonight.

The Pelicans vs the Lakers injury report for January 6th

Here’s the latest update on the rest of the players ahead of tonight’s tip-off:

Los Angeles Lakers injury report

Even though LeBron James is gearing up for tonight’s clash, the same cannot be said for a few of his teammates. This includes the likes of Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura, both of whom could miss this clash. While Vincent is questionable with a back injury, his teammate and Lakers forward Rui Hachimura is dealing with a calf injury and won’t be suiting up tonight.

However, the most notable absence will be that of Austin Reaves. The shooting guard, who has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain, will not just miss tonight’s game but will be out for at least a few more weeks from now. It goes without saying that not having AR on their roster will hurt the Lakers big time tonight.

After all, before getting injured, Reaves was arguably one of the two best players on the squad. He averaged 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, which spoke volumes about his offensive prowess. Nonetheless, apart from him, the Lakers will also miss Adou Thiero, who has suffered a MCL sprain and will miss at least four weeks of action.

New Orleans Pelicans injury report

As for the Pelicans, they also have their fair share of trouble to deal with. They will enter tonight’s game without the likes of Herbert Jones and Dejounte Murray, both of whom are key players for the franchise. While Jones is dealing with a sprained right ankle and will be questionable for tonight’s game, Murray is suffering from a Achilles injury and could return anytime soon, but not tonight.

Lastly, the Pelicans will also miss guard Saddiq Bey. The veteran guard won’t be taking the court tonight after suffering a hip injury. While these injuries might be smaller in numbers than the Lakers’, they’ll have a deeper impact on New Orleans. Having said that, what will their starting five look like for this game?

Predicted lineups for the Pelicans vs the Lakers

Here’s how the Los Angeles Lakers will start with LeBron James:

And here’s how the New Orleans Pelicans could start:

This is how both teams could lineup for tonight’s clash. And by the looks of it, this should be a comfortable away win for the Purple & Gold, especially with the duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic taking the court tonight, as we eagerly await tip-off.