StadiumPosts Logo
Stay upto date with notifications from Stadiumposts
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences

JJ REDICK ADDRESSES RUI HACHIMURA ABSENCE; JAKE LARAVIA EXPECTED TO START FOR LAKERS

Rui Hachimura is out with calf soreness. Discover how JJ Redick plans to stop the Pistons on LeBron James’ 41st birthday.

JJ Redick Addresses Rui Hachimura Absence; Jake LaRavia Expected To Start For Lakers
ESPN Confirms Rui Hachimura Out

Los Angeles Lakers' coach JJ Redick was seen on the court during a timeout in their game against the Sacramento Kings on December 28, 2025.

The Lakers are having a rough time with injuries. Austin Reaves is out for a month with a calf strain, and now Rui Hachimura is also sidelined.

According to ESPN, Hachimura has calf soreness and won't play against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

Gabe Vincent has been out with his back issue since December 14. The only good news is that Jaxson Hayes, who had an ankle sprain, is back.

So, Hachimura is out tomorrow with a calf problem.

Lakers Injury Report vs. Pistons

With Hachimura out, coach Redick will probably start Jake LaRavia. LaRavia has been scoring around 10 points and grabbing 6 boards as a starter. He's been okay as a wing player. He is not the shooter everyone was expecting, but he is not bad; he can play both forward positions.

The Lakers have had a ton of injuries this year, forcing Redick to use a bunch of different starting lineups. Reaves' injury hit Redick hard, since he's a big fan.

Redick said he feels bad for Reaves, especially since it's a longer-term injury.

More Time for Nick Smith Jr.?

With Hachimura out, Nick Smith Jr. might get more minutes. He was great in the win against the Kings.

Even though Marcus Smart started in place of Reaves, Smith really benefited, taking 14 shots in 25 minutes off the bench. He scored 21 points, with five 3-pointers. Smith said he's ready for more chances.

Smith said he's just trying to take it one day at a time, especially since he's on a two-way contract. He wants to be ready whenever he gets the call, and he was ready last game.

He also added that he is in a space where he is just locked in right now.

The Lakers (20-10) are underdogs against the Pistons (24-8) on Tuesday, even though they're at home. It's also LeBron James' 41st birthday, so it's a big game.

LUKE LITTLER BLASTS "DISRESPECTFUL" ALLY PALLY CROWD AFTER TENSE ROB CROSS VICTORY

Luke Littler sparked controversy at Ally Pally by mocking fans' ticket purchases after being booed during his win over Rob Cross.

top-news
Littler Fires Back At Booing Fans

Luke Littler got booed during his match with Rob Cross this Monday at the World Darts Championship, and he fired back at the crowd. The 18-year-old wrapped up a 4-2 win against his rival to get to the quarter-finals.

Littler became a fan favorite after his unlikely run to the World Championship final at Alexandra Palace two years back, when he was only 16. But some folks in north London on Monday seemed tired of his success and tried to rattle the teen in an attempt to make the match last. And he didn’t deal with the boos well.

Right after his win, Littler told the crowd, "I'm not bothered [by the booing]." Really not bothered. You guys pay for tickets, and you pay for my prize, so thanks for booing me. No one wanted me to win, but I proved them wrong yet again.”

Then, during the press conference afterwards, he walked it back, saying, “I think I lost it (his temper). I think it's still on there (the stage). The fans have done what they've done, and I've reacted as any other player would, really.”

Usually, Littler gets a lot of love from the Ally Pally crowd; a lot of fans have started watching darts just because of how fast he rose to fame at the end of 2023. But now this talented player may have caused himself a new issue with his outburst.

Some darts fans won't like that he mentioned how much money he's making during this World Championship season.

Others might think he should've taken the boos with a smile. People at Ally Pally are usually loud as hell whenever they're there.

And some will feel Littler showed he can be rattled by a few shouts.

No matter what darts fans think, Littler didn't do himself any favors with what he said on stage. He needs to get the fans back on his side so they don't turn on him for good.

If he doesn’t, fans might make things rough on him every time he plays, which is new territory for the teenager.

NIKOLA JOKIC INJURY UPDATE; NUGGETS AWAIT MRI RESULTS AFTER SCARY LEFT KNEE COLLAPSE

Nikola Jokic is set for an MRI on Tuesday after a scary knee injury against the Heat. Get the latest medical expert analysis here.

top-news
Jokic Suffers Potential Season-Ending Knee Injury

The NBA caught a bad break Monday night when Nikola Jokic, who most people think is the best player, hurt his left knee.

While the Denver Nuggets are waiting for the MRI results on the three-time MVP, Dr. Brian Sutterer, a sports medicine doctor, looked at replays of Jokic's injury against the Miami Heat to see if he might have torn his ACL.

Sutterer posted on X, along with a YouTube video where he looked at the injury, saying, I feel pretty good about Nikola Jokic's injury.

First off, Sutterer said it was a good sign that the Nuggets said Jokic was questionable after he left the game instead of just saying he was out. That would have meant it was a lot worse.

Sutterer went on to explain why he doesn't think the MRI will show an ACL tear.

He thinks it's a minor hyperextension, ruling out the worst case.

Sutterer looked at different angles of Jokic's knee bending and said, It doesn't look like it bent too awkwardly.

Overall, I don't see too much bending backward or side to side.

He told Nuggets fans not to get too excited about what he thinks.

He posted, It's really hard to tell hyperextension injuries from video, so don't blame me if I'm wrong.

But I've seen a bunch of these injuries over the years, and I think this is good news.

Nuggets Hopeful

After losing to the Heat on Monday, Nuggets coach David Adelman said they're waiting for the MRI results instead of panicking.

He said, All I know is it's a left knee injury. He has to go through tests to figure out what it is. I saw it at halftime, and it looked like his feet got stuck with a teammate, and he knew something was wrong right away.

Adelman said it's a bummer when star players get seriously hurt.

He said, It's part of the NBA. It's awful when anyone gets hurt in this game.

Especially someone as special as him. So we'll know more, and we'll keep going. Obviously, we're just worried about him as a person since he's bummed out about this. We're hoping it's not too bad.

If Jokic is out for a while, it'll be the first time he's been badly hurt since he joined the league in 2014-15. Since his first season, he's played at least 69 games every year, playing 80 games twice.

The MRI results on Nikola Jokic's injury should be out on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Premier League Standings

WhatsApp Read More News