Lakers injury update: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has no structural damage to quad
An MRI exam on the bruised left quad of Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope showed no structural damage with one of the team’s best wing defenders listed as day-to-day.
With the Lakers off Friday and scheduled for a light practice Saturday, Caldwell-Pope has two days to heal with the hope of playing Sunday in Game 4 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series that L.A. leads 2-1 over the Phoenix Suns.
Caldwell-Pope was injured in Game 3 on Thursday night at Staples Center when he ran into Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker, who stopped coming off a screen and extended his body so the Lakers guard would run into him.
The Lakers’ Markieff Morris and Clippers’ Marcus Morris, used to fighting to achieve their goals, are hoping to remain in L.A. while vying for titles.
After the game, Caldwell-Pope said he was “sore, but I’m doing well.”
“I’ve got two days for rest and recovery, and I hope I’m ready to go Sunday,” he added Thursday night in a videoconference.
Caldwell-Pope hasn’t shot the ball well in the series, making just 23.5% of his field goals and just 7.7% of his three-pointers. He has good been on defense, making Booker work hard for his buckets.
“It’s very challenging. He’s a scorer. And he scores in many different ways,” Caldwell-Pope said Thursday night. “I just try to stay attached as much as possible. Try to crowd him in spaces where he’s comfortable. Try to get him out of a rhythm, try to keep him out of a rhythm the whole game, speed him up. It’s been challenging. I feel like I’m in shape to guard him the whole game like that, and I feel good. Yeah, it’s all about pressuring him and keeping him out of that rhythm and making him uncomfortable.”
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