Lakers Upgrade Starter on Injury Report vs 76ers

The Lakers have upgraded one of their players on the injury report on Friday night.

Mar 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) and forward Anthony Davis (3) defend the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers are going to battle it out. Both teams had some key names on the injury report. For the Lakers, they recently upgraded the status of the starting forward, Rui Hachimura.

According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers report that Hachimura has gone from questionable to probable. The veteran is currently dealing with an illness.

This season, Hachimura has appeared in seven of the Lakers’ first eight games. When they paid a visit to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night to close out a five-game road trip, the Lakers missed Hachimura on the floor. They also played without Anthony Davis.

Dec 27, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura (8) drives to the basket as Philadelphia 76ers center Montrezl Harrell (5) defends in the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Barring any further setbacks, the Lakers should have Hachimura and Davis for Friday’s game against the Sixers, as they are now both listed as probable to play.

This year, Hachimura has appeared in seven games, averaging 34 minutes of playing time. The veteran has produced 14 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the field. As he averages three shots from three early on, Hachimura has knocked down 57 percent of his attempts.

Along with his scoring, the Lakers forward has produced six rebounds, two assists, and nearly one steal per game.

The Sixers are very familiar with Hachimura’s game. Prior to the 2023-2024 NBA season, he played for the Washington Wizards, facing the Sixers a handful of times per year.

The former top-ten pick spent three full seasons on the Wizards. After appearing in 30 games during the 2022-2023 season, Hachimura was traded to the Lakers for a player and multiple second-round picks.

Last season, Hachimura appeared in 68 games for the Lakers. He averaged 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist per game.

The Sixers and the Lakers are set to tip at 10 PM ET.