Gasol sits out game due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Lakers are feeling the squeeze of attrition in a pandemic-stricken season.

Veteran center Marc Gasol was the latest Laker to miss time due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, missing Tuesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers took another hit when they learned minutes before tipoff that Kyle Kuzma also wouldn’t be able to play with a right heel bruise.

As of Tuesday evening, the Lakers had not indicated whether Gasol, 36, will miss more time. The Lakers have just one other game, Wednesday night in Sacramento, before the All-Star break. They won’t resume play until March 12 at home against Indiana.

The Spaniard and one-time draft pick of the Lakers has been a bit player this season, averaging 4.8 points and 4.1 rebounds but joining LeBron James as the only Laker to start all 35 games so far this season — until Tuesday. Kuzma had also played all 35 games, averaging 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds as one of the team’s top rotational subs.

Also missing All-Star forward Anthony Davis, coach Frank Vogel started 6-foot-7 Montrezl Harrell against Phoenix’s imposing 6-11 center DeAndre Ayton. If Gasol misses more time, Vogel said, Harrell’s starting spot isn’t set in stone depending on matchups.

“I think Trezz has always been a guy who can play starter minutes,” Vogel said. “Plays a lot of minutes already, so I think we’ve been prepared for that all year. Losing Marc when you don’t have Anthony, that’s where it’s the biggest concern. So we’ll have to continue to see what the depth looks like.”

The Lakers had just been celebrating getting closer to whole with the return of starting point guard Dennis Schröder, who missed four games due to health and safety protocols. Reserve guard Alex Caruso has also missed time this season due to the restrictions — in both cases, neither player ever tested positive for the coronavirus, but was exposed to someone who had.

Gasol’s absence leaves the Lakers’ punishingly thin at center, which has been a sticky position this season, to begin with. With Davis out, the only remaining player taller than 6-10 is Damian Jones, the center recently signed to a 10-day contract.