Tired, road-weary Lakers show ...

Overtime, according to LeBron James, did not help his healing foot. Anthony Davis was aware that he had only participated in one back-to-back match all season. And Austin Reaves was well aware that his achy quad would be more of a problem than the shoulder stinger that had sent him to the dressing room.

Add in a prolonged stay on the airstrip in Salt Lake City to de-ice the aircraft, and the exhausted, road-weary Lakers didn't arrive home until the early hours of Wednesday morning, before their 125-118 defeat to the Clippers.

That's why, following the game, Lakers coach Darvin Ham suggested that, despite having a big contest in Los Angeles, the Lakers might have other concerns. With the defeat to the Clippers, the Lakers dropped to eighth, but they still hold the tiebreaker over the Pelicans.

"We have our own mission," Ham said on Tuesday. "It's going to be a fantastic game, a fantastic matchup." But we have a short-term business to take care of as well as a long-term business to take care of."

However, after consulting with players and medical personnel, the Lakers' short-term and long-term goals appeared to be aligned on Wednesday, with the Lakers having their full roster ready to face the Clippers.

"Guys will be like that because they're proud and passionate about being available and ready to compete with their team," Ham said before the contest. "Again, that's why, in terms of our medical staff, you put the best people possible around these guys." 'We have to get this game,' we understand with a clear vision and not just egotistical objectives. No. We must place our players in the best possible situation to thrive."

It was still unclear whether the squad would have its complete roster by the time it published its injury report on Wednesday. And, even though Davis had already completed his customary pregame on-court exercise, Ham offered no indication whether Davis or James would play.

The choice exemplified much of what teams confront throughout the league whenever they have a back-to-back on the schedule, especially late in the season.

Before Wednesday's game, Ham expressed optimism that the Lakers' scheduling choices throughout the season would pay off at this point.

However, when injuries are involved, such as the ones James and Davis are recovering from and watching, the equation alters. "I think once you get into a situation where you have players on your team who have legitimate issues, you still have to be cautious," Ham said. "You can't allow... we love our fans, we love everyone who supports our league." It's enormous. It's a wonderful experience for everyone to be invested in the acts of people and the times as a whole, but you must also be wise.

As I stated at the start, player fitness is critical. And the last thing you want is for a star or two or three to sell out for one game and then cost you in the games that follow.