🏀 LeBron Injury Hits Lakers At The Worst Time

Honestly, the only surprise should be that this comes as a surprise at all. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: The Lakers had found momentum after a successful trade deadline, but LeBron’s injury changes the equation … What is the value of the first overall pick in the NFL Draft and what would a hypothetical trade look like? … and more! Was it just me, or had it started to feel things were about to break a certain, uplifting, overdue way for the Los Angeles Lakers, with the scramble for playoff spots now firmly in full grapple? A pretty solid deadline trade brought in D'Angelo Russell and took out the lingering awkwardness of the Russell Westbrook situation, albeit merely moving that particular saga a few steps down the [Crypto.com]( Arena corridor. LeBron James was continuing to stack up numerical improbabilities on a nightly basis, passing Kareem Abdul Jabbar's all-time scoring record and celebrating it by scoring and scoring and scoring some more. There was even more than a hint of the kind of inner steel this squad has long been accused of missing, when it rebounded from a 27-point hole against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the largest overhauled deficit in the NBA this season. Corner turned? Not necessarily, but at 29-32 and in 12th in the Western Conference, yet only 2.5 behind Dallas in sixth, it felt like the Lakers might be coming. After all, it is the Lakers, the franchise with enough shining moments and permanent banners to feel like good times are never far away. And then … pop. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - With Justin Fields already in the fold, the Bears can hold the NFL Draft hostage. Carmen Vitali breaks down [five hypothetical trade returns]( for the No. 1 pick. - Who are the [10 best receivers available]( in the 2023 draft? Rob Rang ranks and evaluates them from Quentin Johnston and Jordan Addison to Michael Wilson. - Ohio State needs to find a new QB and several linemen to protect him, but the [biggest improvement needed]( is on the other side of the ball, Michael Cohen writes. - Marquette, UConn and Indiana are among the [teams that are heating up]( in a wild college basketball season, writes John Fanta. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] No. 6 Marquette Golden Eagles at Butler Bulldogs (FS1, 6:30 p.m. ET) The Golden Eagles look to clinch the Big East title outright with a win at Butler. Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies (TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET) Ja Morant and the Grizzlies look to defend home court when they welcome the Lakers to Memphis. Villanova Wildcats at Seton Hall Pirates (FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET) The Pirates host the Wildcats hoping to pick up another Big East win with the regular season winding down. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( UCLA to win 2022-23 NCAA Tournament (+1200) From FOX Sports College Basketball Reporter: John Fanta The Bruins claimed their first Pac-12 regular-season championship in a decade on Sunday, grinding out a 60-56 victory at Colorado for their eighth straight win. What makes UCLA a national title contender? The Bruins have a great ability to settle into a game. They fell behind 21-11 in Boulder with less than eight minutes left in the first half, but their defense and rebounding doesn't waver. Even on a day in which Mick Cronin's team went 1-for-14 from 3-point range, the Bruins still found a way to win behind Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2023 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900