This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/lakers/onsi as Lakers, Heat Announce Starting Lineups for Sunday Game. The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat have announced their first fives for their Sunday clash.

When the lights went on and the marquee stars were shelved, the real story for the Los Angeles Lakers quietly wrote itself. While Austin Reaves exploded for 51 points and carried the offense, it’s DeAndre Ayton’s unassuming presence in the paint and his sudden back-spasm absence that might become the unspoken barometer of this team’s playoff viability.

Get real-time NBA Basketball coverage and scores as Miami Heat takes on Los Angeles Lakers. We bring you the latest game previews, live stats, expert picks and recaps on CBSSports.com

As Jaime Jaquez Jr's hot scoring run continues for the Miami Heat, it wasn't enough to get the win against Luka Doncic's Lakers. Three main takeaways from this back and forth:

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without the services of at least four players when they take on the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, but Deandre Ayton is unlikely to join that group on the sidelines.

The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, both strong contenders, faced off with significant injury concerns. Miami's backcourt was depleted, relying on Bam Adebayo, while the Lakers missed LeBron James and dealt with other absences.