Before heading into their showdown with the Brooklyn Nets at the brand new Barclays Center on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were notified that Dwight Howard would not be able to play due to injury once again and forward Metta World Peace was suspended by the league for one-game due to an altercation with Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons in their last game.

Needless to say, the Lakers were shorthanded against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and the odds of the team coming out with a third straight victory and second consecutive win over the Nets was slim to none.

As if things were bad enough on the injury front for the Lakers, two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol went down with a foot injury with a little more than three minutes left to go in the fourth quarter.

Fortunately for the Lakers, the team was still in the thick of things battle back and forth with Deron Williams and company on their home floor, but even though Los Angeles ultimately came out with a win over Brooklyn on Tuesday, the question remains whether or not Gasol’s injury is as serious as it appeared.

Reportedly, Gasol has suffered a sprain plantar fascia in his right foot and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday with an MRI to assess the extent of damage. Gasol has been no stranger to injuries this season, along with the majority of the team’s best players, but this one may keep him out for a considerable amount of time and could derail the team’s hopes of clinching a playoff spot down the road with a depleted frontcourt.

The loss of Gasol and Howard would prove to be too costly for this team and may result in the Lakers pursuing a trade and or bring in a free agent or two to shoulder the load in the meantime.

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