The Lakers and Clippers are fighting for position in the conference

The Lakers and the Clippers are in a dog fight in the Western Conference. With both teams fighting the injury bug they are just trying to stay in the top four of the conference.

The Clippers appear to be ahead of the Lakers right now because Anthony Davis and LeBron James are still out with injuries and now newly acquired center Andre Drummond is also out with a toe injury.

The Clippers are missing starting center Serge Ibaka because of a back injury but backup center Ivica Zubac is having an outstanding season as the best backup center in the NBA. Also, the Clippers signed former NBA All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract. If Cousins can be half the player he used to be he can help the Clippers. Cousins played seven minutes last Tuesday and scored seven points and pulled down four rebounds. The Clippers are currently in third place in the conference with a record of 34-18.

The Clippers star players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are trying to stay healthy but the surprise of the year for the Clippers is the play of guard, Reggie Jackson. At the beginning of the season Clipper coach Tyronn Lue was not even playing Jackson, now he is their number one player coming off the bench. During his NBA career Jackson has always been an exceptionally good player. Against Portland last Tuesday night, he scored 23 points, hitting eight of the 12 shots he took in 25 minutes. With the addition of Rajon Rondo, the Clippers back court appears to be ready for the playoffs.

The Lakers right now are just trying to hold their heads above the water. They are currently in fifth place in the conference with a record of 32-19. When the Lakers are healthy, they have the best front court in the NBA with James, Davis and Drummond, but that's the million dollar question, Can they stay healthy? Look what happen to the Golden State Warriors a few years ago. They went from a dynasty to struggling team because of injuries. Hopefully, everyone comes back healthy before the playoffs.

The Lakers continue their seven-game road trip on Saturday against another potentially great team fighting injuries, the Brooklyn Nets at 5:30 p.m. on Channel 7. On Monday, they face former Laker Julius Randle and the New York Knicks at 4:30 p.m. and they finish the road trip at Charlotte on Tuesday, April 13.

The Clippers play two more home games on Friday against Houston at 7 p.m. and Sunday against Detroit at 7 p.m. They will be on the road starting Tuesday, April 13, and they return home on Sunday, April 18, against Minnesota at 7 p.m.