Darvin Ham provides injury updates on Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent

through warmups and he felt good but, at the end of the day, when he was out there, we just didn’t feel comfortable putting him out there,” Ham said. “It’s going to be a day to day thing. He could very well go tomorrow but we’ll see how it goes.”

Hachimura suffered the injury on Sunday in Cleveland as part of the unfortunate string of injuries that has hit the Lakers in recent weeks. He received medical clearance to play on Friday, allowing him to return to the court.

“The medical team did a great job obviously, getting him in a mask and getting him comfortable. … He’s got to get used to the mask. You can’t just put it on and think it’s just going to be the same.”

For the Lakers, Hachimura’s absence left them with five players on the injury report, all of whom missed the game. In addition to Hachimura, Gabe Vincent also did not play. Ham again provided an update on his status as well.

“He’s continuing to progress. He got a workout in today. We’re just taking it day by day with him. There’s no set timeline on when he’ll be able to return.”

Vincent has missed the last three games with the ankle injury after initially being listed as questionable. In his second season with the Lakers, he’s averaging 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 41.7% from the field and 39.4% from 3-point range.

With Hachimura out of action, the Lakers started a lineup of Reggie Jackson, Brandon Boston Jr., LeBron James, Caleb Love and Isaiah Jackson. The result was yet another loss for a shorthanded Lakers squad that has struggled of late.

“It’s tough,” Ham said of the team’s recent struggles. “We’ve had a number of guys in and out of the lineup, a lot of different guys playing together and trying to build continuity. That makes things tough. But it’s also an opportunity for some of these guys to get some practice minutes that otherwise they might not get.”

Hachimura may return to the lineup on Sunday when the Lakers travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. The team has dealt with injuries all season with its stars in hames of games to start the season, but the loss of Hachimura, Vincent and others has only added to the struggles.

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