In case you didn’t know, the 2013-2014 NBA season has been a disaster for the Los Angeles Lakers because of all the injuries to its players. Here’s a quick recap of all the Lakers’ injury (as of February 5th):
(Injuries marked with an asterisk (*) means that it’s already healed)
Pau Gasol (C/PF) – strained groin, upper respiratory track infection*, mild ankle sprain*
Jordan Hill (PF/C) – headache, cervical strain
Kobe Bryant (SG/SF) – torn Achilles tendon*, fractured knee
Steve Blake (PG/SG) – torn elbow ligament*, ruptured eardrum
Steve Nash (PG) – nerve root irritation*
Jordan Farmar (PG) – torn hamstring*, torn hamstring again(!!!!)*
Xavier Henry (SG) – bone bruise
Chris Kaman (C) – back spasms*
Jodie Meeks (SG) – sprained ankle
Nash, Blake and Farmar all returned for the Lakers on their Feb. 5th game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, but, as if the universe is playing a sick, cruel joke on LA, two more players went down with injuries – Meeks and Hill – and did not return. Meeks will be re-evaluated on Friday (Saturday, Manila time) in Philadelphia before the Lakers’ game against the 76ers. Hill is expected to play in that game. Blake was also injured in the Minnesota game, rupturing his eardrum, but remained in the game. Coach Mike D’Antoni chose to not play Farmar, keeping him fresh for the second game of a back-to-back (which the almost-40 years old Nash usually doesn’t play in) the following night in Cleveland against the Cavaliers.
Prior to the start of the Cleveland game, the Lakers announced they would have eight, EIGHT, players available. That means five out of the 14 players on LA’s roster are on the injury list while Nash is on the bench in street clothes. Coach MDA chose this as his starting lineup:
C – Robert Sacre; PF – Ryan Kelly; SF – Wesley Johnson; SG – Steve Blake; PG – Jordan Farmar
The three subs were Kendall Marshall (PG), Nick Young (SF) and Chris Kaman (C). Despite the lack in man power, the Lakers dominated the Cavs, leading by 21 at halftime, 70-49. Things got really interesting at the start of the second half. Young apparently got injured in the second quarter, twisting his knee on a drive to the basket, and was ruled out for the rest of the game. That makes SEVEN able bodies for the Purple-and-Gold.
Early in the fourth quarter, Farmar looked like he suffered another injury (which was later revealed to be cramps; he’s fine now). He was deemed done for the night. SIX able bodies left! But wait, there’s more! Midway through the fourth, Kaman fouled out after ramming into Cavs center Anderson Varejao. The disqualification left the Lakers with FIVE players. Hilarious? Sad? Try both. It doesn’t stop there, though.
To top all the sick jokes the universe is throwing at LA, big man Robert Sacre fouled out with three minutes left to play, leaving the Lakers with FOUR available players. This is so bizarre, that basketball twitter exploded with questions about what this predicament meant. Should the Lakers forfeit because they don’t have enough players? Should the game be stopped? Should the game continue as a 4-on-5 contest? Fortunately, the refs brought up an obscure NBA rule that was made specifically for this mess:
Section I-Team
a. Each team shall consist of five players. No team may be reduced to less than five players. If a player in the game receives his sixth personal foul and all substitutes have already been disqualified, said player shall remain in the game and shall be charged with a personal and team foul. A technical foul also shall be assessed against his team. All subsequent personal fouls, including offensive fouls, shall be treated similarly. All players who have six or more personal fouls and remain in the game shall be treated similarly.
b. In the event that there are only five eligible players remaining and one of these players is injured and must leave the game or is ejected, he must be replaced by the last player who was disqualified by reason of receiving six personal fouls. Each subsequent requirement to replace an injured or ejected player will be treated in this inverse order. Any such re-entry into a game by a disqualified player shall be penalized by a technical foul.
c. In the event that a player becomes ill and must leave the court while the ball is in play, the official will stop play immediately when his team gains new possession. The player shall be replaced and no technical foul will be assessed. The opposing team is also permitted to substitute one player.
To put it simply, if a team only has five available players and one of them gets disqualified via his sixth personal foul, that player is permitted to continue playing. However, the team will be assessed with a technical foul, and subsequent team fouls will be accompanied by a T as well.
So, Sacre got to stay and play (and to his credit, he didn’t commit a single foul after his sixth, which would have meant three free throws for each foul for the Cavs – two for the team foul because the Lakers were in the penalty, and one technical free throw), Blake making clutch plays and the purple-and-gold finished this very unusual game with a W, despite a furious late-game surge by the Cavs.
The Lakers won this game because they played hard to the end, and for that I’m extremely grateful. That’s all a fan can ask from them right now, when any hope of a championship (or a trip to the playoffs) is non-existent. Grind hard and never give up. But you have to wonder. What does it take for the entire team to stay healthy. Yes, this was a once-in-a-blue-moon moment and it’s cool that the Lakers were a part of it. In fact, it’s so bizarre, Gasol tweeted this:
I’ve never seen this situation before!! Did anybody know about this rule!? #LakersvsCavs
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) February 6, 2014
(In actuality, the 2009 – 2010 Golden State Warriors were in a similar situation). But, you know, I’d rather have the team healthy than be remembered for winning a game with four legal guys + a DQ’d one.
You can also read this post on my basketball blog Nothing But Net
Here are a few related articles:
Bleacher Report (Link 1)
Bleacher Report (Link 2)
patrickkennan.com 