Left elbow contusion + left foot arthritis! LeBron misses today's game against Pacers, three Lakers players unavailable.

On March 7 Beijing time, the Lakers officially updated the injury report. Three players will be absent from today's game against the Pacers: Ayton (left knee soreness), James (left elbow contusion, left foot arthritis), and Kleber (back strain). Doncic and Reaves will lead the team striving for victory.

Ayton exited early in yesterday's game against the Nuggets due to a left knee injury, while James left late in the game due to a left elbow injury.

Ayton played only the opening 4 minutes and 30 seconds, then was substituted after committing a foul while the Lakers were already trailing 3-15. According to Lakers head coach Redick, the center missed the remainder of the game due to left knee soreness. He had previously missed two consecutive games before the All-Star break due to right knee soreness.

After leaving the game, Ayton did not speak with reporters; the guard Smart, whose locker is next to his, spoke for him.

“He's really down,” Smart said. “Not being able to play is tough for him. He tried to push through, but it just didn't feel right, it was really bad. We need him badly. I know he's faced a lot of criticism recently about his attitude and performance, and he understands it.”

“It might not seem like it, but he really does. He wants to play well and help the team. I think that's what frustrates him most—he's trying, but the way he's trying isn't working, and he's still figuring it out. Tonight was really hard for him.”

On the other side, James scored on a layup with 4:05 remaining in the game, during which he was bumped by the Nuggets' Jokic and his left elbow hit the floor hard; no foul was called by the referees.

“The elbow is really painful now,” James said after the game. “It feels like hitting a funny bone, but much more intense.”

James returned to the court after a timeout attempting to continue playing, but ultimately chose to rest for the final 22.3 seconds. After the game, he applied ice to his elbow, and the team's senior trainer Mancias fitted him with a compression sleeve on the team's flight back to Los Angeles that night.