Lakers news: LeBron update, losing streak snapped, March Madness rooting interests

The NBA season carries highs and lows for every team, but no team has been whiplashed around like the Los Angeles Lakers. It wasn't long ago that the purple and gold were the hottest team in the league, but they've looked like a lottery team in the past week as they've dealt with numerous injuries and a particularly difficult stretch of the schedule.

Getting swept on their four-game road trip halted all the Lakers' momentum and then some, dropping them from the No. 2 seed in the West all the way to fifth. The continued torrid pace of the Timberwolves and Warriors hasn't helped, as they're each now just 2.5 games back of L.A. thanks to a combined 15 straight wins.

We're now in the final fifth of the regular season, and Lakers fans don't know what to believe. Are they rooting for a title contender? The Lakers certainly looked like one in the wake of acquiring Luka Dončić and vastly improving their defense in the second half of the season. Or did their team peak too soon only to run out of steam before the most important games even began?

In this week's Lakers news, we're looking at everything that goes into L.A.'s long-term prognosis, from the health of LeBron James to the big efforts by Luka and Austin Reaves in Sunday night's relatively easy and much-needed win over the Suns.

LeBron's return timetable revealed

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Sunday that LeBron had his first on-court workout since injuring his groin, but is still expected to miss at least another week of game time as he ramps up his activity.

Shams expects the Lakers to be cautious with LeBron's return for good reason. He's 40 years old and has played more minutes than anyone in NBA history. He also was a major part of Team USA's Olympic gold medal run this summer, which makes it even more important to allow him to fully heal before returning to the court.

LeBron has played in 58 games this year, which means he'll need to play in at least seven of the Lakers' final 16 to become eligible for his 21st consecutive All-NBA team. That's the least of his worries right now, and rightly so. The Lakers looked like a team that could challenge for a championship before LeBron went out, and any fan could see from his raised defensive intensity and the way he's glowingly spoken of Luka that LeBron believes that he has a chance a fifth ring, too.

All that matters for LeBron and the Lakers is that he's healthy for the playoffs, even if that means a lower finish in the regular season standings. The Lakers would love to avoid dropping to the play-in game, but not if it means putting LeBron's health at risk.

Lakers back in the win column

Being without LeBron has been tough, but it's been exacerbated by many of his teammates also missing time due to injury. Nowhere was that more evident than in Friday's loss to the Nuggets in which L.A. was without Luka, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent.

Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht did their best Woody Harrelson impression in nearly carrying the Lakers to what would have been a shocking road win over Nikola Jokic and company, but they ultimately fell just short after frequent last-second tormentor Jamal Murray once again drilled a late three for the win.

Despite the loss, it was an encouraging sign to Lakers fans, and to head coach JJ Redick, that his team battled so hard while being so severely undermanned. Reaves and Knecht combined for 69, and the team actually led by three with under a minute to go before Jokic converted an and-one to tie and Murray hit his three to win it.

Luka, Finney-Smith, Hayes and Vincent were all back in the lineup against the Suns, and all four were a big part of the win. Luka went for 33 to lead the team, Hayes was 8/10 from the floor, and DFS and Vincent combined for five threes. If all four can continue like this, it will really soften the blow until LeBron and Rui get back.

The Lakers host the Spurs on Monday night, a team that is dealing with major injuries of their own. Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox are both out for the year, and the Spurs are just 10-21 on the road this season. This is a great chance for the Lakers to get a second win in a row.

March Madness is here. Who are the Lakers rooting for?

College basketball and the NBA won't truly intersect until the draft this summer, but in the meantime it's always fun to see how each team is represented in the NCAA Tournament.

Everyone knows that LeBron skipped college and went straight to the league, and Luka played for Real Madrid in Spain before entering the NBA Draft. Other Lakers have a dog in the fight, though.

Austin Reaves played his first two years at Wichita State before transferring to Oklahoma. The Shockers didn't make the tournament, but the Sooners did, and they'll face the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies in the 8/9 game of the first round of the West region.

If Oklahoma advances, they'll almost certainly face No.1 seed Florida, which also happens to be the alma mater of Dorian Finney-Smith. DFS spent three years in Gainesville after playing his freshman year at Virginia Tech. The Gators are the hottest team in the nation and a popular pick to win it all after rolling through a loaded SEC Tournament.

Jaxson Hayes spent one year at Texas, and his Longhorns are playing in the First Four in Dayton against Xavier on Wednesday night. They're joined in the Midwest region by Tennessee, who secured another No. 2 seed even after losing First Team All-American Dalton Knecht, who graduated last year. The Volunteers face Wofford in Round 1.

Jarred Vanderbilt's Kentucky Wildcats could face Texas in the second round, and Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen if the seeds hold. The Longhorns beat the Cats in their only previous matchup, but Kentucky has already gotten the best of Tennessee twice.

Rui Hachimura has been on the shelf with patellar tendinopathy, but one silver lining is that he should be able to watch his Gonzaga Bulldogs go for their 10th straight Sweet 16 appearance when they face Georgia and possibly No. 1 seed Houston in the second round.

Christian Koloko's alma mater, the Arizona Wildcats, are the No. 4 seed in the East. The could be on a collision course with Duke in the Sweet 16, which just so happens to be where Cam Reddish went to school.

Rounding out the rest of the roster, Markieff Morris went to Kansas. His Jayhawks are a No. 7 seed and will face Arkansas in the first round. Alex Len's Maryland Terrapins are in the same region as the No. 4 seed, and could face either Florida or Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.

Four Lakers went to schools that didn't make the Big Dance. That list is made up of Jordan Goodwin (St. Louis), Gabe Vincent (Santa Barbara), Bronny James (USC) and Shake Milton (SMU).

Let the madness begin!