Howard out with torn labrum, Gasol suffers concussion

The struggling Lakers will have to rely even more on Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash in the near future, as Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol have both been lost to injuries.

Howard has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder and will be re-examined in a week, while fellow big man Pau Gasol suffered a concussion during Sunday night's loss to the Nuggets and will not travel with the team to Texas, where the Lakers play a back-to-back in Houston and San Antonio on Tuesday and Wednesday. Gasol and Howard are both listed as being out indefinitely.

With Lakers bench big man Jordan Hill dealing with a hip injury, Los Angeles' frontcourt has taken a massive hit.

With the loss on Sunday, the Lakers fell to 15-18 on the season and currently sit a disappointing 11th place in the Western Conference, three games back of eighth place.

Howard is averaging 17.3 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks for the Lakers this season, while Gasol is averaging a disappointing 12.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in what has been the worst season of his illustrious career.