Lakers News: Injury Status of Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura Revealed for Nuggets Game

The Los Angeles starters' availability had been in question ahead of the matchup.

Jan 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (0) and guard Austin Reaves (15) and forward Rui Hachimura (28) and guard Max Christie (10) forward Anthony Davis (3) and forward LeBron James (23) look on from the bench in the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Two ailing Los Angeles Lakers frontcourt starters' availability ahead of the team's first encounter this year with the Denver Nuggets — the team that has kicked them out of the last two playoffs — has been revealed.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, head coach JJ Redick will be starting his traditional first five: point guard Austin Reaves, shooting guard Cam Reddish, forwards Rui Hachimura and LeBron James, and center Anthony Davis.

Hachimura will be making his return to the lineup after missing L.A.'s last three games with a right ankle sprain. In those contests, rookie swingman Dalton Knecht had started for Hachimura, and had been so good that there had been some question as to whether or not he had permanently taken Hachimura's spot — or, perhaps, Reddish's when Hachimura recuperated.

Davis is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, but has been playing through it.

According to the league's most recent injury report, Los Angeles center Jaxson Hayes (right ankle sprain), center/power forward Christian Wood (left knee surgery recovery) and power forward Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery recovery) all remain shelved with their various ailments. Neither Wood nor Vanderbilt has yet to make his 2024-25 season debut for Los Angeles following their offseason procedures, and their timelines are fairly indefinite.

Two guards who are not a part of Redick's rotation at all now will not get the opportunity to be part of it on Saturday night: rookie point guard Bronny James is grappling with a left heel contusion, while rookie two-way guard Quincy Olivari is out with a right ankle sprain. Second-year combo guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, L.A.'s No. 17 pick out of Indiana in the 2023 NBA Draft, is merely doubtful due to a lingering left hamstring strain.

The 10-5 Lakers are hosting the matchup at Crypto.com Arena, where they are 7-1, and understandably are (marginal) 3.5-point betting favorites to win, per Michael Arinze of The Action Network.

For the Nuggets, power forward Aaron Gordon remains out for a while with a right calf strain, small forward Vlatko Cancar is on the shelf with a left knee sprain, power forward DaRon Holmes II continues to recover from a right Achilles tendon surgery, two-way small forward Spencer Jones is with Denver's NBAGL squad, the Grand Rapids Gold, and shooting guard Jalen Pickett is on assignment to the G League.

Denver (8-6) will be playing the second night of a back-to-back set, having fallen just a possession short of vanquishing the Dallas Mavericks without All-NBA superstar guard Luka Doncic, 123-120, on Friday night.

The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. PT on NBA TV.

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