LA Lakers Injury Report (Jan. 27): $51M forward joins LeBron James and Anthony Davis on injury roster ahead of Hornets clash

The LA Lakers have two new names in the injury report alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. $51M forward Rui Hachimura and defense-first guard Gabe Vincent feature in the updated report ahead of LA's Monday night matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. With left calf soreness, Hachimura missed the last game against the Golden State Warriors and is listed as questionable for the upcoming game.

Vincent (left knee soreness) is also a doubtful starter, while familiar faces James and Davis are listed as probable with left ankle soreness and left plantar fasciitis respectively. The good news is Jarred Vanderbilt is not featured in the list, making him available for the clash. The injury report with two new names does sound like a warning gong on as the Lakers play again on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Should Rui Hachimura and Vincent miss the game, expect Dorian Finney-Smith to start alongside James in the frontcourt, while Max Christie plays extra minutes to fill in for Vincent.

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LA Lakers look to capitalize on momentum in ongoing Grammy road trip

The Lakers began their six-game road trip with a bang, winning 118-108 against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on Saturday night. They will now hope to win against the Charlotte Hornets, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Washington Wizards throughout their trip. They do face formidable opponents in the New York Knicks and the LA Clippers and wins against these two teams help the Purple and Gold further cement their fifth seed in the West.

It's also interesting to see if LA pulls the trigger on trades ahead of the deadline. The Lakers will be on the road till Feb. 4 and reports suggest that the side is not keen on pulling a big name yet. Much also depends on how Jarred Vanderbilt's integration in the side pans out as the forward continues to be on minutes restriction.

LA is one of the teams that have battled injuries and inconsistency throughout the season. The good news is propping up wins against big teams to boost their confidence. Only time will tell if they can pull off a string of wins in the road trip and maintain their momentum.