Lakers' LeBron James: Shines with 30-point game Saturday
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James ended with 30 points (14-23 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one block and three steals over 39 minutes during Saturday's 119-108 victory over the Nuggets in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Lakers are still alive in the series against the Nuggets, and James became just the fourth player in NBA history to record a 30-point playoff game at the age of 39 or older, joining Reggie Miller, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on that exclusive list. James has surpassed the 25-point mark in each of the four games in this series, and the Lakers will need him to be at his best once again if they want to avoid elimination in Game 5 on Monday.
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Lakers' Anthony Davis: Massive stat line in Game 4 win
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Davis provided 25 points (11-17 FG, 3-4 FT), 23 rebounds, six assists and one block in 42 minutes during Saturday's 119-108 victory over the Nuggets in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Davis was efficient from the field and active on the glass en route to posting his first 20-point, 20-rebound performance since the win over the Bucks on March 28. Davis has been magnificent in the series despite the fact the Lakers are down 1-3, as he's scored at least 25 points and grabbed double-digit rebounds in each of the four contests. He needs to continue at a high level as a two-way threat if the Lakers want to have a shot at pulling the upset in Game 5 of the series.
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Lakers' D'Angelo Russell: Bounces back in Game 4 win
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Russell ended Saturday's 119-108 win over the Nuggets in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with 21 points (8-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, four assists and one steal in 41 minutes.
Russell faced tons of scrutiny following a woeful effort in a Game 3 loss during which he finished scoreless (0-7 FG, 0-6 3Pt), but he bounced back admirably and reached the 20-point mark for the second time in this series. Russell will need to carry his hot hand into Game 5 if the Lakers want to avoid elimination Monday.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Cleared to play
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James (ankle) is good to go for Saturday's Game 4 versus the Nuggets.
No surprise here, as James was carrying his usual probable tag prior to this update. There's no word of any restrictions ahead of tipoff.
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Lakers' Christian Wood: Will play Saturday
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Wood (knee) will be available for Game 4 against the Nuggets on Saturday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Wood will finally return after a prolonged absence, as he hasn't stepped on the court since Feb. 14. He's expected to have a role off the bench and will compete for frontcourt minutes with Jaxson Hayes, though by all accounts, his role will be minimal Saturday.
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Lakers' Anthony Davis: Will play in Game 4
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Davis (wrist) will play in Saturday's Game 4 versus Denver, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Davis popped up as questionable on the injury report with a left wrist sprain after previously battling a back injury and some soreness in both heels, but with Los Angeles' season on the line, Davis will continue to push through his ailments.
Vanderbilt (foot) won't play in Saturday's Game 4 versus Denver, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Although Vanderbilt has ramped up his activity at practice, he'll remain on the sidelines as the Lakers attempt to keep their season alive Saturday.
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Lakers' Cam Reddish: Out again Saturday
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Reddish (ankle) will not play in Saturday's Game 4 versus Denver, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Reddish will miss his seventh straight game, including the end of the regular season. He remains without a timetable for a return.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Listed as probable for Game 4
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James (ankle) is probable for Saturday's Game 4 versus Denver, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
James carrying probable tags due to left ankle soreness is par for the course. Fantasy managers should expect him to suit up with Los Angeles' season on the line, as the Lakers are winless through three games in the series.
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Lakers' Christian Wood: Upgraded to questionable
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Wood (knee) has been upgraded to questionable for Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against Denver, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Wood has been sidelined since Feb. 14, but he's been trending towards a return for a while. It sounds like if he makes it through the shootaround without any setbacks, he could get the green light to return with Los Angeles' season on the line.
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Lakers' Anthony Davis: Iffy for Game 4
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Davis is questionable for Saturday's Game 4 versus Denver due to a left wrist sprain, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Davis has been a regular on the injury report, but this is a new issue. Previously, Davis was battling a back injury and some soreness in both heels. He seemed fine in Game 3, however, as he produced 33 points (14-23 FG, 5-7 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 43 minutes.
Lakers' Austin Reaves: Puts up 22 points in Game 3 loss
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Reaves ended with 22 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, three assists and four steals across 41 minutes during Thursday's 112-105 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Reaves had two subpar showings in the first two games of the series, and even though he bounced back in Game 3, his efforts were not enough to lift the Lakers to victory. Reaves will aim to replicate these numbers in Game 4 on Saturday, as the Lakers need to win to avoid a first-round exit. Reaves is averaging 14.7 points per game in the series while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from deep.
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Lakers' Anthony Davis: Massive line in Game 3 defeat
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Davis finished Thursday's 112-105 loss to Denver in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with 33 points (14-23 FG, 5-7 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 43 minutes.
LeBron James has been the most influential all-around player for the Lakers in the series, but when it comes to putting up numbers, Davis has been leading the way. He's recorded at least 32 points with double-digit rebounds in the three games in the series so far. Davis should be in line to handle another heavy workload in Game 4 on Saturday regardless of whether he's on the injury report.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Scores 26 in Game 3 defeat
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James produced 26 points (12-20 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, nine assists, one block and two steals across 42 minutes during Thursday's 112-105 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
James had another strong showing, but as has been the trend throughout the series, the Lakers couldn't maintain their lead and ended up losing, falling into an 0-3 deficit. James has done everything in his power to counter Denver, reaching the 25-point mark in all three of his appearances in the series while averaging 26.3 points, 9.7 assists and 6.7 rebounds across 40.3 minutes per contest.
