The Los Angeles Lakers will play on Christmas Day for the 21st consecutive year Wednesday, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis both listed as questionable for the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
However, ESPN reported Tuesday that both James and Davis are expected to play on Wednesday, citing league sources who were not publicly identified.
The Lakers did not conduct a media availability on Tuesday.
James did not play in Sunday’s 128-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets because of a thoracic muscle strain, the first game he missed this season.
Davis has what the team described as right knee soreness. The 6-foot-10-inch forward tweaked his right knee during Sunday’s game.
The Lakers (24-6) enter the game on a season-high three-game losing streak. They have the NBA’s second-best record behind the 27-4 Milwaukee Bucks.
“It’s the next game in front of us which makes it the most important game of the year, which is how we’ve approached every game all season,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “Aside from that, that’s really it.”
The Clippers (22-10) have lost three of their last five games. They have not reported any injuries.
The game is a rematch of the Clippers’ 112-102 victory Oct. 22 in the season opener for both teams. Clippers six-time all-star forward Paul George missed that game because of a shoulder injury.
The Lakers have played on Christmas 45 times, second-most in NBA history, behind the New York Knicks, who have played on Christmas 53 times. The Lakers have won an NBA-high 23 times on Christmas, one more than the Knicks.
The Lakers’ 127-101 victory at Golden State last Christmas was their third in their last nine Christmas Day games.
The last time the Lakers didn’t play on Christmas was in 1998 when the owners’ lockout of the players delayed the start of the season until February.
This will be the Clippers’ first Christmas Day game since 2016 and 16th in their 50 seasons. They are 6-9 on Christmas Day.