LeBron James and Anthony Davis were together on the bench for a Los Angeles debacle in Dallas that further endangered the postseason hopes of the Lakers.
Now the club waits to see when the All-Star pair will be together on the floor again, and whether it will be in time to secure a play-in spot for the second consecutive year for the 2020 champs.
James missed the 128-110 loss to the Mavericks, which included deficits of 30 points in the first half and 37 in the second, with soreness and swelling in his sprained right ankle.
Davis is on the brink of returning after being out since Feb. 16 with a right mid-foot sprain. He also missed a month with a knee injury, so the title-winning pair from two years ago in the playoff bubble has been limited to 21 games together this season.
If No. 22 doesn't come soon, it might be too late. Technically, the Lakers (31-44) are out of the Western Conference play-in tournament at the moment. LA is tied for 10th, the final spot, with San Antonio, which holds the tiebreaker.
Vogel said a decision on the possible return of Davis, along with James’ status, would be updated before the Lakers play at Utah on Thursday to end a three-game trip.