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Schroder expected to miss 10-14 days due to health protocols

Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder is expected to be sidelined for 10-14 days due to health and safety protocols, head coach Frank Vogel confirmed Monday, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha.

Schroder has averaged 15.5 points and 5.8 assists per game in 2020-21 and was largely tasked with keeping the Lakers' offense afloat while franchise pillars LeBron James and Anthony Davis missed significant time with injuries.

The 27-year-old's absence comes as L.A., which is 3-7 in its past 10 games, attempts to avoid the added pressure of participating in this year's new play-in tournament format.

At 36-28 (.563), the sixth-seeded Lakers currently have the same record as the Portland Trail Blazers. However, having split their two previous head-to-head matchups, Friday's game in Portland could play a significant role in determining tiebreakers - and the field of play-in tournament entrants.

Lakers' remaining schedule

Date Opponent
May 3 vs. Nuggets
May 6 at Clippers
May 7 at Trail Blazers
May 9 vs. Suns
May 11 vs. Knicks
May 12 vs. Rockets
May 15 at Pacers
May 16 at Pelicans

Under the new rules, the seventh- and eighth-ranked teams at the end of the regular season will play one game to determine the seventh playoff berth; the loser then plays a single-elimination game versus the winner of a matchup between the ninth- and 10th-ranked teams with the eighth and final playoff berth on the line.

Compounding the team's injury issues, James exited Sunday's game against the Toronto Raptors due to soreness in the same right ankle he sprained earlier this year, costing him 20 games before he returned Friday. However, James said postgame that he wasn't too concerned by the development.

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