NBA Injury Report: LeBron James questionable, Nikola Jokic questionable and more updates on Bam Adebayo and Lauri Markkanen (April 4, 2023)

Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James has been ruled questionable by the LA Lakers for Tuesday night's game against the Utah Jazz. James continues to deal with right foot soreness following his return from a right foot injury that sidelined him for two weeks.

“King James” hasn’t missed a game since his return versus the Chicago Bulls on Mar. 26. He has played in the Lakers’ last four games despite discomfort in his right foot.

The NBA didn’t have any games on Monday night. There’s an expectation that the Lakers will make James available a few hours before game time.

LeBron James has struggled a bit with his shooting after the long layoff. He is averaging 20.0 points on 46.3% shooting, including a dismal 20.0% clip from behind the arc. James, however, has been a major factor with his rebounding and playmaking. He’s averaging 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

Barring any setback, he should be in uniform tonight in Salt Lake City when they square off against the Utah Jazz. If he’s not available for some reason, Darvin Ham could insert Rui Hachimura, Troy Brown Jr. or Austin Reaves into the starting unit.

Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic remains questionable for the Denver Nuggets as they take on the Houston Rockets in Texas. He has had that status since March 30 and missed all three of those games due to right calf tightness. The reigning NBA MVP last played on March 27 in the Nuggets’ thrilling 116-111 win over the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers.

Denver is 1-2 in its last three games without the Serbian superstar. After their impressive win against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, the Nuggets improved to 52-26. They still hold a three-game advantage over the Memphis Grizzlies (49-29) for the best record in the Western Conference.

The back-to-back NBA MVP has reportedly been limited in practice, which means that he could be unavailable for the fourth consecutive game.

Thomas Bryant could remain in the starting lineup if Nikola Jokic is unable to play. DeAndre Jordan could also see his minutes go up in the absence of Denver’s best player.

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Bam Adebayo: Right hip contusion; Injured since: April 1, 2023

Bam Adebayo sat out the Miami Heat’s crucial 129-122 win over the Dallas Mavericks on April 1. He was upgraded to questionable for their matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.

After their victory over the Mavericks, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that the NBA All-Star is expected to play versus the Pistons.

Adebayo’s return will be a huge boost for the Heat (41-37), who are trying to chase down the Brooklyn Nets (43-35) for the sixth seed. A top-six finish will guarantee them an automatic playoff spot.

Over his last five games, one of the NBA’s best two-way big men is averaging 16.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

Cody Zeller should get another game if the two-time NBA All-Star remains sidelined.

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Lauri Markkanen: Left hand contusion; Injured since: March 27, 2023

Lauri Markkanen has been ruled questionable by the Utah Jazz for the game against the visiting LA Lakers. “The Finnisher” played on Sunday night versus the Brooklyn Nets after sitting out the Jazz’s previous two games due to a left-hand contusion.

Utah needs a miracle to get into the playoffs as its currently 12th in the standings with a 36-42 record. The Jazz are 1.5 games behind the OKC Thunder (38-41), who also own the tiebreaker.

The Jazz will be hard-pressed to win on Tuesday night against the surging LA Lakers.