Lakers Rule Out Deandre Ayton Against the Heat, With LeBron James Still Sidelined
The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Miami Heat on Monday night without center Deandre Ayton (back spasms) and with LeBron James still out with sciatica, while rookie Adou Thiero has been recalled from the G League and could be active for the first time.
The Miami Heat's Monday night visit to the Los Angeles Lakers now has its injury picture. Center Deandre Ayton has been ruled out against Miami with back spasms, according to the Lakers injury reporting read by this desk on Saturday. Ayton missed the second half of the Lakers' 117-112 win on Friday with the same issue; head coach JJ Redick said Ayton could have returned for the fourth quarter but the team chose not to risk it.
Los Angeles remains without LeBron James, who is out with sciatica and, per the same reporting, could be re-evaluated in mid-November. Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain) and Gabe Vincent (left ankle sprain) also remain out for the Lakers.
There is one possible addition. Rookie Adou Thiero, who has been recovering from knee surgery, was recalled from the G League's South Bay Lakers on Saturday, and insider Dan Woike reported he could potentially be active for the first time against Miami - though he remains listed as out on the official report, making an upgrade unlikely. Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart, by contrast, are off the injury report entirely: Doncic returned Friday against Memphis after finger and leg injuries, and Smart is back from a quad injury.
Tip on Monday is 10 p.m. Eastern at Crypto.com Arena - 7 p.m. on the West Coast - with the game listed on Spectrum SportsNet and FanDuel Sports Network Sun. For Miami, the absences in the Lakers' frontcourt put the focus on the matchup this desk flagged in its preview: whether Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo can turn Los Angeles' thin interior into a road win.
