The Los Angeles Lakers will be without LeBron James, Deandre Ayton, and Maxi Kleber when they face the Indiana Pacers on Friday, the team announced. James exited Thursday's 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets after suffering a left elbow contusion from contact with Nikola Jokic. He's also dealing with left foot arthritis.

Ayton left Thursday's game after just four and a half minutes due to left knee soreness and did not return. Kleber will miss his third consecutive game with a lumbar back strain. Without their starting big men against Denver, backup center Jaxson Hayes stepped up with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and five rebounds.

Indiana enters Friday's matchup with the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 15-47 and has lost seven straight games. The Pacers present an opportunity for the shorthanded Lakers to secure a win despite missing three key contributors.